ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s coronavirus cases crossed the 69,000 mark on Sunday, with 3,039 new infections reported in a single day, making it the highest number recorded thus far, the health ministry said on its official COVID-19 portal.
“(There were) 27,360 cases diagnosed in Sindh, 25,271 in Punjab, 9,540 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 4,193 in Balochistan, 2,418 in Islamabad, 678 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 251 in Azad Kashmir,” the statement added.
Sunday also saw the highest rise in deaths in a single day, with 88 people dying from the disease, bringing the total count to 1,483 fatalities.
The uptick in the number of cases follows the easing of anti-virus restrictions a few days ahead of Eid which was celebrated on May 24 across the country.
On Sunday, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health, Dr. Zafar Mirza, said that the government was making the use of masks mandatory as part of the measures.
“Face masks are now mandatory to be worn by everybody while in crowded public places, mosques, bazaars, shopping malls, public transport ie road, rail and flights. We have reviewed our guidelines for wearing masks and have added a mandatory section,” Mirza said in a tweet.
It follows a statement by the Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) and Narcotics Control, Shehryar Afridi, on Saturday, confirming that he had tested positive for the disease.
“I have tested positive of Covid-19 & have isolated myself at home as per advice by medics. I need prayers & blessings. May Allah almighty help save all my countrymen from the pandemic under my PM,” he wrote on Twitter.
In another development, Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) sought feedback from all four provinces on whether or not to open a few more sectors which had been closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The forum, for their part, suggested that educational institutions should remain closed until August, reasoning that the coronavirus cases could peak in July.
