Islamabad, April 23, 2020 (PPI-OT): Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had underlined the need of national coordinated efforts to overcome global pandemic of Coronavirus. He was addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Thursday evening about government’s measures to address coronavirus pandemic in the country. He appreciated the global financial institutions, including the World Bank and IMF, over announcing financial assistance to developing countries in containing the virus.
Sharing nationwide tally of COVID-19 in Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said number of confirmed cases has soared to 10,811 with 4,590 cases in Punjab, 3,671 in Sindh, 1,453 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 552 in Balochistan, 204 in Islamabad, 51 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and 290 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Foreign Minister said 2,337 patients have recovered, while virus has claimed 228 lives so far. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said during the last 24 hours, a total of 6,700 tests were conducted, out of which 298 cases were declared positive, while four deaths have been reported.
In his remarks, Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal expressed the confidence that international community has praised the timely and coordinated response of the Pakistani government in overcoming Coronavirus challenge. Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr. Zafar Mirza reaffirmed the government’s commitment to utilize all available resources to reduce drastic impacts of Covid-19.
He informed that percentage of spreading coronavirus on local level in Pakistan is 79 percent, which is likely to further increase. Dr Zafar Mirza said the government is working on strengthening surveillance and rapid response teams, expanding laborites’ network, clinical management sources, and ensuring supports and logistics to Coronavirus-hit population.
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