ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities on Sunday reported only four new COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, the country’s fewest number of fatalities since March.
The announcement raises hopes that Pakistan is on the right path to fully containing the coronavirus despite having a fragile health system.
The National Command and Control Center also reported 591 new cases, increasing the country’s caseload to 275,836, including 6,275 deaths.
Pakistan witnessed a sudden spike in infections and deaths in June, but confirmed cases and fatalities have gradually declined since then. The latest development comes days after Pakistan’s drug regulatory agency approved final-phase testing of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine.
Pakistan hopes it will get the vaccine on priority from neighboring China if its clinical trials show success.
Pakistan reports fewest virus deaths since March
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Pakistan reports fewest virus deaths since March
- Authorities on Sunday reported only four new COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours
- Announcement raises hopes that Pakistan is on the right path to fully containing the coronavirus
Pakistan expresses solidarity with Australia as gunmen kill at least 12 in Bondi Beach shooting
- Gunmen targeted people gathered at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach to celebrate Jewish Hannukah festival
- Pakistan, itself a victim of “terrorism,” condemns violence against innocent civilians, says President Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed solidarity with Australia on Sunday as gunmen killed at least 12 people and wounded a dozen others in the Bondi Beach shooting that targeted the Jewish community in the country.
New South Wales (NSW) police said two people had been taken into custody, and the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said one of at least two gunmen was among those killed. Around a dozen people were taken to local hospitals after the shooting, an NSW ambulance spokesperson said.
The attackers targeted a large group gathered at the northern end of Sydney’s Bondi Beach, near or at Bondi Park playground, as per news reports, when the attack happened. Gunmen attacked people who were there to celebrate an event related to the Jewish festival of Hannukah.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed sorrow over the tragic shooting in Sydney, conveyed condolences to the victims’ families & wished the injured a speedy recovery,” the president of Pakistan’s official account on X wrote.
“Pakistan itself a victim of terrorism, stands in solidarity with & condemns violence against innocent civilians.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the Sydney attack, expressing condolences with victims of the incident.
“Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he wrote on X.
As per international media reports, one of the gunmen has been identified as Naveed Akram from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s southwest. His country of origin remains unclear.
One of the world’s most famous beaches, Bondi is typically crowded with locals and tourists, especially on warm weekend evenings.
Videos circulating on X appeared to show people on the beach and nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens could be heard. One video showed a man dressed in a black shirt firing a large weapon before being tackled by a man in a white T-shirt who wrestled his weapon off him. A different man was seen firing a weapon from a pedestrian bridge.
Another video showed two men pressed onto the ground by uniformed police on a small pedestrian bridge. Officers could be seen trying to resuscitate one of the men. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.
The attack came almost exactly 11 years after a lone gunman took 18 people hostage at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. Two hostages and the gunman were killed after a 16-hour standoff.
