-With over 600 new cases, virus count hits 14,000
-Recoveries exceed 3,029
-PM asks MNAs to actively facilitate people
-Over 50 police personnel tested positive in Karachi
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in the country has soared to 13,947, after 587 new cases were reported during last 24 hours, media reported on Monday.
According to National Command and Operation Center, 3029 patients have recovered their health in the country so far, while 10,594 are still under treatment.
11 more deaths have been reported in the country during last 24 hours, the number of coronavirus deaths in Pakistan stands at 292, said NCOC.
Overall 150756 tests have bee conducted in the country to detect the deadly virus. A total of 6,391 tests were conducted through out the country during the day
The worldwide death toll from coronavirus pandemic has risen to 206,968 while over 2.9 million cases have been registered.
According to latest data, 878,621 patients have recovered from the pandemic so far. In United States, death toll from the pandemic now stands at 54,413 with over 987,160 infections from the virus.
Italy is the second worst-hit country in terms of deaths with 26,644 and 197,675 infections, followed by Spain with 23,190 deaths and more than 226,629 infections.
Talking to media after receiving another consignment of 18 ton medical equipment from China by a special flight of PIA, he said ” in the next few days country’s laboratories would be able to conduct upto 40,000 coronavirus tests daily.”
He said it was the first flight of the consignments of a total of US $ 50million medical equipments from China in collaboration with National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF).
Three to four more air crafts carrying mostly Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) and ventilators would arrive soon.
The first consignment included 15 x-Ray machines, 159 ventilators , 200 thermal guns , 290,000 surgical masks, 15,000 Protective Gowns, 30,000 gloves , 5,000 safety goggles and other Personal Protective Equipment. He thanked NDRMF for sponsoring huge consignments. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lt Gen (R) Nadeem Ahmed said the
procuring of PPEs were being ensured for the safety of our doctors and paramedics. In addition to that US $ 50 million consignment, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was funding additional US $105 million for procuring more medical equipments in collaboration with NDMA to provide necessary equipments to provinces and federation.
Likewise, he said World Bank is poised to give US $ 60 million. NDRMF would try to create earning livelihood opportunities for the people whose business or employment were badly effected due to lockdown.
The aim is to reduce their sufferings. He said negotiations were nearing conclusion with French Development Bank for getting US $ 40 to US $ 45 million for procuring more medical equipments.
More than 50 police personnel have so far tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Karachi, officials said on Monday.
According to documents reviewed by Dawn, six inspectors are among the 51 personnel of the Sindh Police whose tests have returned positive. Of these, one inspector has recovered from the disease and has been discharged from the hospital, while the rest are admitted to isolation wards of different hospitals in the metropolis, said a police official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, two police personnel, including a sub-inspector and a head constable, were confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus while performing their duty at a cash distribution facility of Ehsaas Programme at the Government Degree College, Quaidabad in Karachi. “So far, no police official has been infected with the virus in other major cities of Sindh,” the officer added.
According to Karachi City police chief Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon, the majority of infected police officials in the city were not those deployed in active field duty. He pointed out that one of the infected inspectors was from the investigation branch while the other one was working as a staff officer.
“A few constables who got infected were working in Sindh Police’s Madadgar 15 service. And some police officers were gunmen and drivers of senior police officials in the city,” he added.
