LAHORE: Amid ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Punjab government has reopened 61 areas in Lahore while lockdown has been extended for three days in seven localities.

The areas that have been reopened include blocks in Johar Town, Canal View Society, Wapda Town, PCSIR, DHA (phase I,III,V), Askari X, Old Anarkali, Kareem Park, Shadbagh (Gol Bagh), Mohalla Shah Noor, Darogawala and others.

On the other hand, Punjab government has also issued an extension notification regarding smart lockdown in the province due to the coronavirus.

According to Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Care Captain (Retd) Muhammad Usman, educational institutions, wedding halls, restaurants, parks and cinema halls will remain closed. Social and religious gatherings, sports activities will not be allowed during lockdown.

All business locations will remain open from Monday till Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Medical stores, puncture shops, flour mill, tandoor ovens, agricultural workshops will be allowed to remain open 24 hours a day.

Call centers will be allowed to open with 50% staff while inter-district transport will be allowed to operate 24 hours a day. Grocery stores will be allowed to open all week, from 9am to 7pm. All churches will open for worship only on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It is to be mentioned here that Pakistan has confirmed 91 deaths in a single day by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 213,249. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 4,395.

According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 4,133 persons have been tested positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours.

Sindh has become the worst-hit province by the pandemic in terms of cases followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Till now 84,640 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 76,262 in Punjab, 26,598 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10,476 in Balochistan, 12,912 in Islamabad, 1,489 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 1,093 in Azad Kashmir.

Furthermore, 1,762 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab, 1,377 in Sindh, 951 in KP, 121 in Balochistan, 128 in Islamabad, 26 in GB and 30 in Azad Kashmir.

Patients are under treatment at quarantine centers of 462 hospitals where 7,295 beds are available.

Pakistan has so far conducted 1,305,510 coronavirus tests and 22,418 in last 24 hours. 100,802 coronavirus patients have recovered in the country whereas 2,741 patients are in critical condition.—NNI