Amid the countrywide lockdown, the total number of confirmed coronavirus patients has increased to 5,030 across Pakistan with nearly half of the cases being reported from Punjab province alone.

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar told the media that the government would decide on Monday whether to extend the lockdown or ease restrictions after April 15, according to the Dawn news.

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Addressing a press conference along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza on Saturday, he said, “Fewer deaths have been reported as compared to different predictive models. Though there were fewer patients on the ventilators, for some weeks, but on Saturday that number reached 50”.

On Saturday, at least eight more coronavirus patients died, taking the total toll to 86.

The Minister told the media that 144 billion PKR would be given to 12 million families under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme (EECP). This was the biggest relief package in the country’s history, he announced.

He further added that the government would then decide whether to extend the lockdown or ease the restrictions after April 15.

On Thursday, the government has extended the suspension of domestic and international flight operations in the country until April 21 in a bid to contain the deadly spread, said a notification issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Earlier this week, Army chief Gen Bajwa held a meeting with his top Generals during which he reviewed geo strategic, regional and national security issues with particular emphasis on latest situation arising from COVID-19.

The generals, who attended the meeting through video link from respective Headquarters, reviewed the deployment of troops assisting civil administration across the country.

Earlier, the government had extended partial lockdown till April 14 and constantly asking people to stay indoors and follow social distancing.

Meanwhile, the number of deaths linked to the deadly virus reached 100,000 on Friday, as the tally of cases passed 1.6 million, according to a Reuters tally.

The first death came in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Jan. 9. It took 83 days for the first 50,000 deaths to be recorded and just eight more for the toll to climb to 100,000.

The toll has been accelerating at a daily rate of between 6% and 10% over the past week, and there were almost 7,300 deaths globally reported on Thursday.