On Tuesday, the government approved a Rs 700 crore special relief package for labourers to help them face the economic fallout of the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Policemen disperse vendors as time to close a market arrived during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, along a street in Peshawar (Photo: AFP)
The COVID-19 death toll in Pakistan has increased to 343 with the emergence of 26 fatalities in 24 hours, the highest single day jump, according to the health authorities.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Moeed Yusuf told the media that besides the new 26 deaths, there were 44 infected people in critical condition, Dawn news reported on Thursday.
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However, he said the mortality rate was only 2.1 per cent in Pakistan as compared to around 7 per cent in other countries.
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“Moreover, 80 per cent of the deceased were over 50 years old and 70 per cent of the overall victims were suffering from some other critical diseases (such as cancer, heart problem and diabetes),” he added.
As of Thursday, the number of confirmed cases in the country stood at 15,521. Punjab province is the hardest-hit with 5,827 cases, closely followed by Sindh at 5,695.
On Tuesday, the government approved a Rs 700 crore special relief package for labourers to help them face the economic fallout of the lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The government is working on a national plan for the safety and protection of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, which will be announced in a few days.
On Friday, Imran Khan government has extended the countrywide lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic for 15 more days until May 9 amid doctors warnings against easing restrictions.
Earlier on Tuesday, Punjab has registered 5,640 patients, Sindh 4,956, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 1,984, Balochistan 853, Gilgit-Baltistan 320, Islamabad 261 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 65.
Meanwhile, over 2.2 lakh people have died around the world, while around 32 lakh have been Covid-19 infection, as per Johns Hopkins University.
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