Coronavirus updates, April 11: Latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from Pakistan and around the world
Nationwide tally of confirmed cases goes past 5,000, global coronavirus deaths top 102,000
Updated Saturday Apr 11 2020
KARACHI / LAHORE / ISLAMABAD / PESHAWAR / QUETTA: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 5,036 on Saturday after new infections were confirmed in the country.
The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 11:50pm, April 11, is as follows:
Total confirmed cases: 5,036
• Sindh: 1,318
• Punjab: 2,425
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 697
• Balochistan: 228
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 118
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 216
• AJK: 34
Deaths: 86
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 31
• Sindh: 28
• Balochistan: 2
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 3
• Punjab: 21
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 1
Officials have recorded more than 1.7 million cases and as many as 102,743 deaths since the virus emerged in China in December.
Read on for the latest updates from Pakistan and around the world
Disclaimer: There may be some discrepancy in the number of confirmed cases reported at the country level due to differences in figures quoted by federal and provincial authorities.
Geo News is constantly gathering fresh information from concerned authorities and striving to keep our readers up to date with the most accurate information available.
Orange: General updates coming in from Pakistan
Red: Reports on new cases in Pakistan
Maroon: Reports on new deaths in Pakistan
Green: Reports on recovered patients in Pakistan
END OF LIVE UPDATES FOR APRIL 11
Live updates for April 12 to continue here.
11:50pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab tally rises by 15 to 2,425
According to Punjab government spokesperson Musarrat Cheema, the province's tally has risen by 15 to 2,425.
10:44pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — Country's tally shoots past 5,000 with more cases, deaths from KP
According to an update by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department, the province has witnessed a surge in cases by 45, taking the tally to 697.
Six deaths have also been reported, taking the total number of deaths to 31.
Furthermore, 11 more recoveries were reported, which means a total of 142 people have recovered in the province.
With the increase in number of cases from KP, Pakistan's total number of cases have shot past 5,000 to 5,021.
10:02pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh govt withdraws decision to seal off Karachi's neighbourhoods
Less than six hours after 11 union councils were sealed off in Karachi, Sindh government has withdrawn it's decision to cordon off the neighbourhoods.
"Only those specific areas where cases have been reported will be sealed," said Sindh's information minister Nasir Shah.
"It will cause great inconvenience to the people if such large areas are completely closed off," he said.
09:30pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Govt finds 'innovative' solution to simultaneously care for planet and daily wage workers
More than a million people have benefitted from Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme
According to Sania Nishtar, who is in charge of the programme: "We have disbursed Rs13.18 billion to 1.098 million people in the last 60 hours under the #Ehsaas Emergency Cash program."
08:32pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan reminds residents to call 'PDMA Corona Helpline' for health or food assistance
08:20pm — London, UK — Boris Johnson continues virus recovery as UK death toll nears 10,000
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is making "very good progress" in his recovery in hospital from coronavirus, officials say, as the number of deaths in Britain from the disease approach the grim milestone of 10,000.
The 55-year-old leader was spending his second full day out of intensive care at London´s St Thomas´ Hospital, where he has been able to take short walks between periods of rest, according to Downing Street.
"The Prime Minister continues to make very good progress," a Downing Street spokeswoman said in a short statement.
07:46pm — Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan — Region reports 21 recoveries, one more case
According to an update by the Gilgit-Baltistan health department, 21 more patients have recovered, making the total number of recoveries 146.
One case was also reported today, taking the total tally of infected so far to 216.
07:20pm — Karachi, Pakistan — 'Some areas' of city's district South to also be sealed off
In a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, it has been decided that "some areas" of Karachi's South zone will also be sealed off.
Earlier in the evening, the city's East zone was cordoned off by police and Rangers.
The decision was taken after the chief minister expressed "great concern" over the rise in coronavirus cases in the city.
06:45pm — Quetta, Balochistan — Six more recoveries reported as tally rises by 8 to 228
According to an update by Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani, the number of cases in the province have risen by 8 and now amount to 228.
Shahwani also reported 6 more recoveries, which takes the total number of recoveries to 95.
05:55pm — Lahore, Pakistan —Punjab's death tally rises by two to 21
05:50pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab's tally of infected jumps by 72 to 2,410
According to an update by Punjab government spokesperson Musarrat Cheema, the province's number of cases have jumped by 72 to 2,410.
04:54pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Union councils in city's East zone sealed to contain virus' spread
Multiple union councils of Karachi's District East have been sealed under SIndh Epidemic Disease Act (2014) "in larger public interest and to prevent outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)", according to a notification by the Deputy Commissioner of the East zone.
These include Gillani Railways, Dalmia, Jamali Colony, Gulshan II, Pehalwan Goth, Gulzar-e-Hijri, Safoora Goth, Faisal Cantt, Manzoor Colony, Jacob Lines and Jamshed Quarters.
04:22pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Shehbaz Sharif urges govt to improve aid distribution methods after woman dies in Multan
PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif has called on the government to review the methods adopted to distribute aid after a woman died in Multan a day earlier collecting funds under the Ehsaas Programme.
"The manner in which aid is being distributed among the poor is highly dangerous," said Shehbaz, adding that news of the woman's death is "highly regrettable".
"The government must immediately review its distribution methods for funds and essential food items and adopt better policies," he stressed.
The PML-N president was chairing a meeting via video link between party members to review relief efforts being made by the party.
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir premier and chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan also attended the session.
3:55pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Cash to be distributed in three stages under Ehsaas programme: govt spokesperson
Balochistan government spokesperson Liaqauat Shahwani has said cash will be disbursed in three stages under the Ehsaas programme with BISP beneficiaries receiving the money in the first stage.
“In the second stage those registered under the Ehsaas programme will receive cash,” Shahwani said.
He added that adequate equipment had been given to the hospitals and that there was no shortage of medical supplies in the province.
3:50pm — Tehran, Iran — Death toll rises to 4,357, infections surge past 70,000
Iran's total death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak rose to 4,357 on Saturday, with 125 people having lost their lives in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said.
The total number of people diagnosed with the disease rose by 1,837 in the past 24 hours to a total of 70,029, ministry spokesman
3:45pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — DRAP gives green signal to 52 companies for sanitizer production
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has granted permission to 52 companies to produce sanitizers in the country.
The drug authority added that it had also rejected requests of 86 companies and deferred the approval of 45 others till the next meeting.
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3:30pm — Peshawar, Pakistan – Nurse recovers from coronavirus
A nurse admitted to Hayatabad Medical Complex with coronavirus has recovered, the hospital administration said on Saturday.
According to the hospital, the nurse was admitted on March 25 and was discharged after her second test came back negative.
The nurse had been working at a private medical facility, the hospital added.
3:25pm — New Delhi, India — Nationwide lockdown extended
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to extend a nationwide lockdown to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, the Delhi state's chief minister said on Saturday, without saying how long the extension would be for.
Modi earlier in the day held a video conference call with several state ministers. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Modi had "taken (a) correct decision to extend (the) lockdown", without sharing further details.
"If it is stopped now, all gains would be lost. To consolidate, it is imp (important) to extend it," Kejriwal said on Twitter.
3:15pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Not in favour of prolonging lockdown: Governor Sindh
Governor Sindh Imran Ismail has said that he was not in favour of prolonging the lockdown.
“Already receiving reports of essential items not being available in several districts,” Ismail said.
He added that K-Electric would not do average billing. “April’s bill reading would be done in two parts,” he said.
3:00pm — Badin, Pakistan – Six arrested for taking 'commission' from Ehasaas Kifalat beneficiaries
Six people were arrested on Saturday after citizens complained of being asked for a 'commission' while collecting their cash grant under the Ehsaas Kifalat Programme.
According to the area SSP, cases have been registered against 20 suspects in total.
“Two suspects were arrested from Matiari for asking for a commission. The suspects had been working as bank agents and had taken Rs1,000 as commission,” police said.
2:45pm — Madrid, Spain — Death toll rises to 16,353
Spain's daily coronavirus death toll fell for the third day in a row on Saturday after 510 fatalities were reported in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said in a statement, marking the smallest overnight increase since March 23.
Total fatalities from the virus rose to 16,353, from 15,843 on Friday, the ministry said, while the number of confirmed cases climbed to 161,852 from 157,022.
2:35pm — Manila, Philippines — 26 new deaths reported
The Philippines reported 26 new coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, taking the total to 247.
The country also confirmed 233 new infections for a tally of 4,428. Seventeen more patients have recovered, the health ministry said in a bulletin, bringing the number of recoveries to 157.
2:25pm — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — 184 new cases reported, death toll rises by 3
Malaysian health authorities reported 184 additional confirmed cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, raising the cumulative tally to 4,530, the highest number for any country in Southeast Asia.
The latest data includes 3 new deaths, raising total fatalities from the outbreak to 73.
2:15pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh constitutes committee to monitor use of plasma in treating patients
The Sindh government has constituted a committee to monitor the use of plasma in treating patients, a notification issued on Saturday said.
The committee will comprise federal secretary and health officials from different hospitals.
The committee will submit a report its recommendations to Sindh chief minister, the notification added.
2:10pm — Tehran, Iran — Rouhani urges Iranians to respect health protocols as curbs ease
President Hassan Rouhani urged Iranians to respect health protocols to guard against the new coronavirus as "low-risk" economic activities resumed in most of the country on Saturday, state news agency IRNA reported.
So-called low-risk businesses will resume across the country from Saturday except for Tehran, where they will restart from April 18.
Health authorities have repeatedly complained that many Iranians ignored appeals to stay at home, warning about a second wave of the outbreak in Iran where the death toll had reached 4232 with 68,192 infected cases.
2:00pm — Jakarta, Indonesia — 330 new cases, 21 deaths reported
Indonesia confirmed 330 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, taking its tally to 3,842, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said.
It also confirmed 21 virus-related deaths, taking the total to 327, Yurianto told a televised news conference.
1:45pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh reports 104 cases, 6 deaths in last 24 hours
Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has said the province recorded six deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 28.
“We have recorded 104 cases in the province, which is an increase of 20 per cent,” he said. “This takes the number of cases in the province to 1,318.”
“We have given orders for stricter measures in Malir,” Shah said, adding that the cases were rising in Hyderabad forcing the authorities to enforce stricter measures.
The number of confirmed cases in Pakistan now stands at 4,897.
1:30pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — Increasing our testing capacity: KP information minister
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Ajmal Wazir has said the province is increasing its testing capacity as the number of cases rise.
“Any journalist who loses his/her life because of the virus, their family will be given Rs100,000,” Wazir told a press conference.
He added, the province was doing what it could to protect the health workers.
He further shared that there were 275 quarantine centres in the province which could house 18,000 people.
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1:00pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Ehsaas programme payment can be received at designated centres: Dr Sania Nishar
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation D. Sania Nishtar has said cash can be collected from ATM, designated centres and points for the Ehsaas programme.
In a video message, Dr Nishtar urged the people not to rush for payment before the final response of payment date.
12:45pm — Geneva, Switzerland — WHO warns about dangers of premature lifting of restrictions
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned countries to be cautious about lifting restrictions introduced to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
The United Nations agency would like to see an easing, but at the same time “lifting restrictions could lead to a deadly resurgence,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference.
Tedros said no country was immune from the pandemic, which was spreading panic around the world.
“No country is immune. No country can claim it has a strong health system. We have to be honest and assess and address this problem.”
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12:40pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Camps established to distribute cash through Ehsaas Kifalat Programme
Camps have been set across Lahore to disburse cash among the needy through the Ehsaas Kifalat Programme.
According to DC Lahore Danish Afzal, camps have been set up at 30 different points in the city. “59,000 people will be given cash,” he said.
Separately, the PDMA is distributing 12,000 rupees per family among 1,700,000 families across Punjab on the instructions of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
“481 camps have been established to disburse the amount,” the PDMA said.
12:30pm — Peshawar, Pakistan – KP health minister rejects reports of quarantine centre in Hayatabad
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra has rejected reports of a quarantine centre being set-up in Hayatabad.
“There is no truth to the reports circulating,” Jhagra said through a video message.
“Coronavirus does not differentiate between anyone. We need to help each other our during these testing times,” headed.
12:25pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — One more doctor contracts virus
A doctor in Peshawar has reported positive for the virus, president provincial doctors association said.
According to Dr Afzal Manan, the doctor was self-isolating at home after his test came back positive.
The doctor had been performing duties at the Molvi Ameer Shah Memorial Hospital in Peshawar.
12:15pm — New Delhi, India — PM Modi mulls extending lockdown
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks on Saturday with states to decide whether to extend the restrictions beyond next week in the country or not.
India's 21-day lockdown ends on Tuesday and several states have urged PM Modi to extend it further, even as concerns have risen that the shutdown has put millions of poor people out of work and forced an exodus of migrant workers from cities to villages.
The number of cases in India rose to 7,471 on Saturday, with capital city New Delhi and financial hub Mumbai fast emerging as hotspots.
12:00pm — Dhaka, Bangladesh — Lockdown extended till April 25
Bangladesh has extended its nationwide lockdown by 11 days in a bid to stem the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
According to Reuters, the army has been deployed across the country to enforce social distancing measures.
Bangladesh has recorded 424 cases of the virus with 27 deaths.
11:45am — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab reports one more death, nationwide tally rises to 72
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority on Saturday reported another death in Punjab, taking the provincial tally to 19.
Two more cases were also reported, taking the total number of cases to 2,338.
This death toll from the virus now stands at 72 in the country.
11:35am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Country has capacity to conduct tests for next 75 days: Chairman NDMA
Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal has said the country has the capacity to conduct coronavirus tests for the next 75 days.
“Pakistan is capable of conducting 30,000 to 40,000 tests,” the chairman told media.
The NDMA chairman further said China had sent 59 ventilators along with surgical masks, gloves, thermometers and other protective equipment.
“No provincial funds were used to buy the equipment. All the equipment brought through the federal government,” he shared.
11:25am — Wellington/Melbourne, New Zealand/Australia — NZ reports 2, Australia 56 deaths
New Zealand said on Saturday there had been two new deaths due to the coronavirus — its biggest daily total to date despite the low number and bringing the total to four in a country that's halfway through a four-week nationwide lockdown.
The number of new confirmed cases in the nation of about 5 million rose by 20 for a total of 1,035.
Neighbouring Australia has also seen the pace of infections slow dramatically in the past week.
According to Australia's health ministry, the number of new confirmed cases rose on Saturday by 86 to 6,238, while there were 56 deaths.
Global coronavirus cases reach 1.7 million, death toll tops 100,000
More than 102,000 people have died of COVID-19 with 1.7 million infections detected globally, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.
According to the tracker, nearly 70% of the fatalities have been recorded in Europe.
11:10am — Islamabad, Pakistan — PIA plane carrying medical aid from China arrives in Pakistan
A special PIA plane carrying medical aid from China arrived in Pakistan, confirmed Foreign Office on Saturday.
“Pakistani mission in China helping government, NDMA to fight pandemic in the country,” the Foreign Office said.
11:00am — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab finance secretary directs departments to cut down on unnecessary expenditure
Punjab finance secretary has directed provincial departments to cut down on unnecessary expenditure amid the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
“There is financial pressure on the government due to the outbreak,” Secretary Abdullah Sumbul said.
“We have spent Rs13 billion on the health department till now while Rs10 billion have been allotted for the Insaaf Imdad Programme,” he said. “Businesses have been been given tax relief of Rs18 billion.”
Sumbul added that departments should cut down their expenditure by one-third. “Demands in the 2020-21 budget should be cut-down by at least one-third.”
Government to make sure of timely payment of salaries and pensions, he added.
10:45am — Lahore, Pakistan — Railways to re-open workshops from April 13
Railways will re-open all its workshops from April 13, DC Workshops Sajid Bashir announced on Saturday.
“All preparations have been done to re-open the workshops,” Bashir said. “We have installed chlorine spray walk-through gates at the entrance of the workshops.”
10:40am — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan govt to conduct random test sampling
The government of Balochistan has announced it will be a conducting random coronavirus test sampling in the province.
“Random testing will be conducting in the province,” a circular from the government said. "Data from the test sampling to help authorities determine the spread of the virus."
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10:30am — Islamabad, Pakistan — FM Qureshi holds meeting in Foreign Office
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said protocols and SOPs have been compiled and put in place to bring back Pakistanis stranded abroad.
The foreign minister passed these remarks while chairing a meeting at the Foreign Office.
“Till now 1,600 Pakistanis have returned home via nine special flights,” Qureshi said. “Thousands of Pakistanis are still waiting to return.”
10:20am — Peshawar, Pakistan — First patient admitted to Lady Reading Hospital recovers
The first patient admitted to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar with coronavirus has recovered, hospital administration said on Saturday.
According to the hospital, the patient was admitted on March 23 and was on a ventilator for 17 days.
The patient had a travel history of UK, the hospital added.
10:15am — Beijing, China — 46 new virus cases recorded
China on Saturday reported a rise in new coronavirus cases, as authorities try to head off the second wave of infections.
The National Health Commission said 46 new cases were reported on Friday, including 42 involving travellers from abroad, up from 42 cases a day earlier.
Mainland China's tally of infections now stands at 81,953. The death toll rose by three to 3,339.
10:10am — Bangkok, Thailand — 45 new cases, two new deaths recorded
Thailand reported 45 new coronavirus infections and two more deaths on Saturday.
The Southeast Asian nation has registered a total of 2,518 cases and 35 deaths since its outbreak emerged in January.
10:05am — Peshawar, Pakistan — PDMA dispatches protective gear to 12 hospitals
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Saturday said it had dispatched protective gear to 12 hospitals.
“Protective gear has been sent to Lady Reading Hospital, Police Services Hospital, Mardan Medical Complex, DHQ Buner, Charsadda, Mardan, Tank, Malakand and other hospitals,” PDMA said.
The authority added 1,462 N-95 masks have been dispatched to hospitals, of which 590 masks have been sent to Lady Reading Hospital, 154 to Mardan Medical Complex and 162 masks to a hospital to Lower Dir.
9:56am — Muzaffarabad, Pakistan — Nationwide tally of confirmed cases rises to 4,793
The number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 4,793 on Saturday after the national dashboard recorded one more case in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
9:50am — Washington, United States — Trump to make important announcement on US funding to WHO next week
President Donald Trump said he will make an announcement next week on US funding to the World Health Organization, which he has recently threatened to cut.
"As you know, we have given them approximately $500 million a year, and we are going to be talking about that subject next week. We'll have a lot to say about it," Trump told a news conference at the White House. He said he would make the announcement "sometime next week."
9:30am — Islamabad, Pakistan — IHC to prioritize urgent cases amid spread of novel coronavirus
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will next week prioritize cases of importance and seven single and three divisional benches of the court will function amid a country-wide lockdown enforced to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The registrar office of the high court issued a circular in this regard early Saturday morning. According to the circular, all cases to be heard in the IHC, district courts, and special courts would relate to urgent matters or bail-related issues next week.
9:20am — Bangkok, Thailand — Face masks available in vending machines at airport, train stations
9:15am — Quetta, Pakistan — Complete lockdown for second straight week in provincial capital to stem virus spread
Quetta continues to be under a lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. On Saturday, businesses remained shut and public transport absent from roads in the city.
Section 144 has been imposed throughout the province and pillion riding is banned. The Balochistan government had late last month enforced a lockdown in the province to contain the spread of the virus.
9:00am — Mountain View, United States — Apple, Google launching software to track coronavirus through smartphones
Tech giants Apple and Google said on Friday that they will work together to create contact tracing technology that aims to slow the spread of the coronavirus by allowing users to opt into logging other phones they have been near, Reuters reported.
The rare collaboration between the two Silicon Valley companies, whose operating systems power 99% of the world’s smartphones, could accelerate usage of apps that aim to get potentially infected individuals into testing or quarantine more quickly and reliably than existing systems in much of the world.
8:50am — Washington, United States — US coronavirus cases top 500,000, death toll rises to 18,600
The number of confirmed cases in the United States topped 500,000 on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, although there are signs that Americans staying home was helping to curb new infections.
Confirmed US cases of the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus have been rising by 30,000 to 35,000 cases a day as testing becomes more available.
US deaths topped 18,600 on Friday as officials warned that fatalities would likely peak this week as then decline as there was evidence that the number of new infections was flattening in New York state, the epicenter of the US outbreak.
12:25am — Paris, France — Global coronavirus death toll tops 100,000
More than 100,000 people have died worldwide from the coronavirus, with nearly 70% of all fatalities in Europe, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources.
A total of 100,661 people have been killed, including 70,245 in Europe, since the virus first emerged in China in December.
Italy has the highest number of deaths with 18,849, followed by the United States with 17,925 and 15,843 in Spain. The figures were compiled by AFP using official government data and World Health Organisation statistics.
12:19am — Peshawar, Pakistan — ENT doctor at Hayatabad Medical Complex tests positive for virus
An ENT specialist, Dr Prof Javed, who works at the Hayatabad Medical Complex has tested positive for the virus.
The development has been confirmed by the president of the KP wing of the Young Doctors Association, Dr Rizwan.
Dr Rizwan has sounded the alarm that "Dr Javed's lungs have lost 70% of their function".
For our April 10 coronavirus coverage click here.
For our April 9 coronavirus coverage click here.
