-Over 125,000 recover as infections count exceeds 226,000
-PM visits NCOC to assess 100-day performance
-Lauds nation’s resilience, response to pandemic
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s COVID-19 recovery rate reached 55.5% after 11,471 recoveries were recorded across the country over the past 24 hours.
According to the government’s COVID-19 portal, these recoveries were the highest single-day jump in the country.
The total number of recovered cases in the country now stand at 125,094, while 2,460 patients are in critical condition.
The recoveries in Punjab stand at 42,854, Sindh 50,908, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 15,520, Islamabad 8,610, Balochistan 5,331, Gilgit-Baltistan 1,185, and Azad Jammu Kashmir 686.
Previously, the highest single-day recoveries, 9,809, were recorded on June 12.
According to official figures, there are 95,570 active cases in the country with the total number of infections at 225,283.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Saturday had credited Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “smart lockdown” strategy for striking a balance between people’s lives and starvation.
Faraz, while claiming that the strategy had “succeeded” against the virus, said: “The world also followed the smart lockdown strategy of PM Imran.”
The minister was speaking at an event at Polyclinic Hospital to acknowledge the frontline role of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff in the fight against coronavirus in the last 100 days.
“The strategy of smart lockdown is succeeding in Pakistan and its results can be seen in Islamabad and other areas of the country,” he said, adding: “In Islamabad, 771 cases of coronavirus were reported on June 1 and now the number of cases have dropped to 113 due to the smart lockdown strategy.”
The information minister appreciated that people had adopted SOPs and helped in mitigating the disease.
“The efforts against coronavirus remain successful because of a balanced campaign. However, the danger of coronavirus still exists and it is our national obligation to follow the SOPs,” he added.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) claimed 68 more lives in the country in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,619.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 3,387 new infections were detected after 22,050 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours, taking the national tally of cases to 225,283.
More than 1.3 million tests have been conducted in the country while 95,570 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment and 125,094 patients have recuperated from the disease.
90,721 cases have been detected in Sindh so far, 80,297 in Punjab, 27,506 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10,717 in Balochistan, 13, 292 in Islamabad, 1,214 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 1,536 in Gilgit Baltistan.
The number of Coronavirus cases across the world has surpassed over eleven million while the pandemic has so far claimed more than 529,000 lives.
The United States tops both in number of cases and deaths with over two point eight million cases and more than 132,000 deaths followed by Brazil with over one point five million cases and more than 63,200 deaths.
Over six point one million patients have so far recovered from the disease across the world.
The National Command and Operations Centre observed 100 days of ‘action and resilience’ against the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday.
“Today, the number of recovered Pakistanis exceeds the total active cases in Pakistan,” said the official press statement from the NCOC.
According to the NCOC, 125,094 people have recovered across Pakistan so far, while the number of active cases is 95,570.
To pay tribute to the front line heroes combatting COVID-19, the national leadership will visit various hospitals and healthcare facilities across Pakistan to acknowledge the ongoing and untiring efforts of doctors, nurses, paramedics and healthcare workers, it said.
“On its 100 days of ongoing efforts, the NCOC pays tribute to the people of Pakistan,” said the statement, lauding the efforts and great resilience of the emergency responders, Law Enforcement Agencies and others involved in fighting the pandemic.
Pakistan recorded 3,387 new cases in the country over the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 225,283.
According to the NCOC, 22,094 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours.
Sindh leads the tally of confirmed cases in the country with 90,721 cases, with Punjab coming in second with 80,297. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 27,506 cases have been recorded, 10,717 in Balochistan, 13,292 in Islamabad, 1,536 in Gilgit Baltistan and 1,214 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The country also recorded 68 deaths in the last 24 hours to take the tally to 4,619.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said that the world is following the strategy of ‘smart’ lockdown by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The minister said that due to the strategy from PM Imran, the coronavirus cases dropped, adding that he is grateful to the public for following the Standard Operating Procedures.
Faraz said that the NCOC worked tirelessly day and night for 100 days to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The minister lauded the work by the NCOC, saying that the conditions under which it worked is commendable.
“The relief cash was distributed among 10.5 million families, he said, cautioning that the threat from the virus is not over as yet despite the situation being under control.
Attributing the drop in tally of cases to SOPs, the minister said that due to the government efforts the testing capacity has been increased.
“If we follow the SOPs carefully then the hospitals will get empty soon,” he said, urging people to tackle the pandemic by working in unison. The minister lauded the healthcare workers, saying the medical staff are on the frontlines in the battle against the disease. Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday appreciated the resilience and adaptability of the nation to adjust to the new normal by following standard operating procedures (SOPs) and face the challenge of Covid 19 as one nation.
Noting slowing down of disease progression, the prime minister directed to ensure strict implementation of SOPs, undertaking all required administrative actions to implement the strategy of smart lockdown, besides continuing mass awareness campaign to curtail the spread of coronavirus and specially prevent its resurgence during Eid-ul- Azha.
The prime minister expressed these views during his visit to National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on the occasion of completion of 100 days of its establishment.
Ministers, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, high-ranking officials were present on the occasion. Provincial governments were also represented via video link, PM office media wing in a press release said.
The prime minister was briefed in detail about the current situation and the pattern analysis of COVID-19 spread.
He was also apprised on how the strategy of smart lockdown had yielded results in balancing life and livelihood, keeping the economy afloat, addressed the issues of poor and the working class while containing the disease.
It was highlighted that as per International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Economic Outlook, amongst a group of 30 countries, Pakistan has reversed the projected downturn from -0.4 to 1.1. From July 19 to May 20, Pakistan’s exports fared much better as compared to the exports from other countries of the region.
Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the efforts of NCOC team in putting up a robust response to the pandemic and ensuring coordinated actions throughout the country.
From daily monitoring of the situation to the capacity enhancement of health system and from establishing a credible database to better resource management and formulation of appropriate SOPs, the NCOC had led from the front in the fight against pandemic, the prime minister observed.
He also paid tributes to all doctors and para-medical staff, emergency responders working as frontline workers against COVID-19.
The prime minister also acknowledged the role and services of healthcare workers, emergency responders and management team from all the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
