ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported a record rise in the number of daily coronavirus infections with 2,255 new cases on Wednesday.
The ministry of health puts the current infection tally at 34,336, with 737 related deaths — 31 in the past 24 hours.
The sharp rise in reported cases comes just days after the government eased coronavirus lockdowns across the country, despite warnings from health professionals who called for stricter measures to slow down the virus spread.
A provincial breakdown of the confirmed cases shows that 13,225 cases have been reported in Punjab, 12,610 in Sindh, 5,021 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,158 in Balochistan, 759 in Islamabad, 475 in Gilgit Baltistan and 88 in Azad Kashmir.
Following lockdown relaxations, markets have been packed, with traders and shoppers largely ignoring the government’s safety guidelines.
Public transport remains shut, but factories and offices have been allowed to resume operations.
Earlier this week, Information Minister Shibli Faraz said the decision to ease restrictions across the country from May 9 was made after two months of deliberations and consultations with all regional authorities.
He said it was now the responsibility of people to strictly follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and maintain social distancing for their own safety. He added, however, that restrictions can be reimposed if the numbers worsen.
“Government would continue to monitor the situation on daily basis and if there was an unexpected surge in COVID-19 cases due to the people’s negligence in not following the SOPs, then it might be forced to opt for a strict lockdown,” he said.
