• In the past 24 hours, 19 people have died due to Covid-related reasons in Pakistan.

The coronavirus is making headlines in Pakistan again as a serious surge in deaths is seen in the past few days. The number of new cases has also been increasing to some extent.

Pakistan has been one of the success stories of this coronavirus pandemic as it successfully contained the first wave of the viral disease drawing praises from global health bodies like WHO and public health experts across the globe. But the government and epidemiologists have been repeatedly warning the public regarding the threat of a potential second wave of Coronavirus.

NINETEEN people succumbed to the viral infection in Pakistan yesterday which is the highest number of single-day fatalities in the country since September 2nd.

Today, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan appealed the public to strictly follow Standard Operative Procedures to prevent spread of COVID-19 as the virus is resurging in Pakistan.

During a press briefing in Islamabad on Wednesday, SAPM said that 19 people lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the last 24 hours. He said statistics show that the plague is spreading at a rapid pace in big cities like Karachi, Gilgit, and Multan.

He said it is our collective responsibility to strictly follow SOPs and discipline, which include avoiding places of rush, use of mask, hand wash, and observing social distancing, to limit the spread of the virus in the country. The SAPM stressed the need to strictly implement the tag displayed at shopping centers and shops stating no mask, no service. He, however, lauded the compliance of SOPs in educational institutions.

Sultan also hinted towards the government's plan of implementing lockdown again if things get out of control. He said COVID-19 latest statistics show that the virus can resurge to the extent where we are compelled to close or restrict business and social activities if we do not follow the SOPs in letter and spirit. 

Federal minister for planning Asad Umar who is also heading the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) took to Twitter yesterday and notified the public of the alarming rise in Covid deaths in the country. He tweeted:

Last week's daily covid mortality was 12. This is a 140% increase vs a few weeks back. We are collectively committing a blunder by recklessly ignoring all SOPs & the results have started to show. If we do not change our current path we will lose both lives and livelihoods.

Pakistan's latest coronavirus statistics:

• Confirmed cases: 324,744

• Cases (last 24 hours): 660

• Total deaths: 6,692

• Deaths (last 24 hours): 19

• Recoveries: 308,674

• Recoveries (last 24 hours): 654

• Total tests conducted: 4,148,739

• Tests conducted (last 24 hours): 26,670

• Active cases: 9,378

• Critical cases: 559