LAHORE: Amid the countrywide lockdown, Pakistan’s coronavirus tally surged past 5,138 on Sunday after provinces and administrative units reported 107 fresh cases.
According to the government’s official portal for tracking the number of coronavirus cases in the country, five more cases have been reported in Islamabad while Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) have reported one more case each.
Punjab, which accounts for more than half of the national epidemic toll, reported seven new cases, pushing the provincial tally to 2,432. Lahore remains the hardest-hit city with 426 cases.
Sindh announced 93 new cases taking its grand total to 1,411. Provincial government’s spokesperson Senator Murtaza Wahab also confirmed two more deaths, taking the death toll to 30.
68% OF SINDH’S PATIENTS ARE MEN: MURAD
Addressing the epidemic, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that 68.3 percent of the province’s virus cases were reported in men, while the remaining 31.7pc were reported in women.
In a video message, the chief minister said: “The ratio shows that men are more vulnerable than women as they frequently leave their homes and do not care to practice social distancing as advised by experts.”
Men have become carriers for the virus, bringing it back home to their families, he added.
Sindh is currently under a complete lockdown since Mar 22 in a bid to restrict social interaction. However, despite all-out efforts by the government to contain the spread, the tally has only witnessed a rise ever since.
To implement the lockdown in letter and spirit, Sindh police have adopted a “zero-tolerance policy” to deal with violators. According to provincial authorities, police have arrested 322 people across the province and registered 114 FIRs against them for violating Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
According to a spokesperson for Sindh police, some 191 people were arrested in Karachi, 25 in Hyderabad, one in Mirpurkhas, 32 in Sukkur and 73 in Larkana.
The official added that since Mar 23, a total of 3,325 people have been arrested in Karachi while 1,169 FIRs have been registered against Section 144 violators.
755 MORE RECOVER IN PUNJAB: BUZDAR
Punjab Chief Usman Buzdar announced that at least 755 zaireens (pilgrims), who were being quarantined in Dera Ghazi Khan, have returned to their homes after making a full recovery.
In a tweet, he said: “Only 74 Zaireen left in Dera Ghazi Khan quarantine, who are being looked after in the best possible manner.”
“Local administration, Police and health care professionals deserves appreciation for taking care of Zaireen in the best possible manner during these difficult times,” he added.
Local administration, Police and health care professionals deserves appreciation for taking care of Zaireen in the best possible manner during these difficult times.
We are a resilient nation and InshAllah by staying united we will fight off this pandemic! #PunjabFightsCorona
— Usman Buzdar (@UsmanAKBuzdar) April 12, 2020
DECISION ABOUT HAJ BY MID-RAMAZAN: QADRI
Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri has said the decision regarding Haj will be taken by mid-Ramazan.
In a statement, he stated that the ministry is in close contact with Saudi authorities and they are contemplating various options.
He added that Saudi Arabia’s Haj minister has asked the ministry to temporarily suspend preparations for the pilgrimage because of uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic.
