ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday recorded its highest single-day rise in COVID-19 infections since June last year, with 4,468 new cases and 67 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, government data showed.
The national tally of coronavirus cases reached 649,824, while the death toll jumped to 14,158 on Saturday since the outbreak was first reported in February last year.
On Friday, Planning Minister Asad Umar tweeted that citizens above 50 years of age could register for the COVID-19 vaccine from March 30.
“Registration of those who are 60 and older has already been open. Encourage everybody who is 50 plus to register when the registration is opened for them on 30th,” said Umar, who is also the chief of the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the government’s central body dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
Authorities had opened up almost all sectors of society in the past few months. However, they reversed a decision to allow large indoor gatherings such as at cinemas, theaters and marriage halls earlier this month.
As an additional restrictive measure to curb the spread of the outbreak, the government has also imposed localized lockdowns in several cities identified as coronavirus hotspots and shut down schools for two weeks, starting from March 15.
However, on Wednesday, it said that educational institutions would continue to remain closed until April 11 to limit new infections.
Earlier this week, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced that the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) board had agreed to hold the O-level exams after May 15 in light of the growing number of coronavirus cases across Pakistan.
Mahmood said that while the government was aware of the impact that the schools’ closure was having on children’s education, he added that “we are also concerned about their health.”
