Coronavirus updates, April 14: Latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from Pakistan and around the world
Nationwide tally of deaths cross 100, positive cases near 6,000; global death toll climbs to 119,000
Updated Tuesday Apr 14 2020
KARACHI / LAHORE / ISLAMABAD / PESHAWAR / QUETTA: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 5,984 on Tuesday after new infections were confirmed in the country.
The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 12:28am, April 15, is as follows:
Total confirmed cases: 5,984
• Sindh: 1,518
• Punjab: 2,954
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 800
• Balochistan: 248
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 131
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 234
• AJK: 43
Deaths: 107
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 38
• Sindh: 35
• Balochistan: 2
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 3
• Punjab: 28
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 1
Officials have recorded more than 1.9 million cases and as many as 120,000 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 14
Live updates for April 15 to continue here.
12:28am (April 15) — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab reports four deaths, 89 new cases
Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar has confirmed four more deaths in the province, taking the grim total to 28.
The total number of cases also saw a significant rise, by 89, to reach 2,945.
11:58pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — Province reports three more deaths, 65 new cases
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has reported three more deaths in the province, taking the total number to 38. All cases were in Peshawar.
The department also reported a rise in cases by 65 to 865.
Twenty-five patients were also reported to have recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 178.
11:14pm — Istanbul, Turkey — Daily virus death toll jumps over 100
Turkey's single-day death toll from coronavirus has jumped over 100 for the first time, the health minister says, as he assures the speed of the disease's spread is under control.
The country recorded 107 deaths and 4,062 new cases for the past 24 hours, Fahrettin Koca told a televised press conference. The daily death toll has thus far remained below 100.
The latest figures pushed the total number of fatalities in Turkey to 1,403 and the number of cases has exceeded 65,000.
"The current results show Turkey will overcome this pandemic with the lowest possible loss," Koca said, advising Turks to follow the isolation and social distancing rules "with no exceptions."
The minister praised the way Turkey has controlled the speed of the COVID-19's spread nationwide by applying a "filiation" method under which each case´s contact chain is identified, tracked and tested.
10:43pm — United Nations, USA — UN chief warns of 'epidemic of misinformation' about coronavirus
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned about a "dangerous epidemic of misinformation" surrounding the global coronavirus outbreak.
"This is a time for science and solidarity," Guterres said in a statement and video message.
"As the world fights the deadly COVID-19 pandemic — the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War — we are also seeing another epidemic, a dangerous epidemic of misinformation," he said.
Guterres did not cite any specific countries or media outlets but he said that "harmful health advice and snake-oil solutions are proliferating.
"Falsehoods are filling the airwaves," he said. "Wild conspiracy theories are infecting the Internet.
"Hatred is going viral, stigmatising and vilifying people and groups," Guterres said.
"The world must unite against this disease, too," he said.
"The vaccine is trust," Guterres said, calling on people to "trust in science."
The UN secretary general praised journalists and fact-checkers and called on social media companies to do "more to root out hate and harmful assertions about COVID-19."
"Together, let´s reject the lies and nonsense out there," he said, and "build a healthier, more equitable, just and resilient world."
10:10pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Six airports opened for international arrivals
The prime minister's special assistant on national security, Moeed Yusuf has confirmed that six airports will operate special flights to bring back 2,000 Pakistanis this week and more than 6,000 every week after that.
09:20pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Foreign Office announces return of 267 Pakistanis stranded in Japan, Thailand
President Alvi warns everyone not to 'rush back to markets', continue to exercise caution
08:54pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh's break down at a glance
08:30pm — Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan — Region reports one more case, 19 more recoveries
7:30pm — New York, US — Cuomo slams Trump
New York Governor Cuomo slammed US President Donald Trump for saying that he had total authority to reopen American states as the pandemic continues to infect thousands across the country.
6:58pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Firdous says lockdown relaxed to allow ease to low-income segment of society
A couple of hours after PM Imran announced that the government was relaxing the lockdown measures, Dr Firdous Awan took to Twitter to say that the measures had been taken in a bid to "minimising the financial hardships that the restrictions have caused" for the lower segment of society.
6: 35pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Lockdown will not be implemented in mosques from today, says Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rahman
Ulema from various schools of thought held a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday to declare that the lockdown will not be in force from mosques from today.
Mufti Muneeb ur Rahman said that Tarawih prayers and Itikaf will continue as per schedule. He called on people coming to mosques to practice social distancing.
The cleric urged the government to not arrest people coming to mosques. "All those who have been arrested [for coming to mosques] should be released," he said.
He called on worshippers coming to the mosques to wear masks and perform wuzu at their respective homes. "Remove mats from mosques and ensure sanitizers are available," he said.
Mufti Taqi Usmani said that people were not implementing the government's guidelines pertaining to offering prayers in mosques by no more than five persons. He called on people to implement the government's safety precautions but said that for a Muslim, offering congregational prayers in Ramazan was obligatory.
6:10 pm — Karachi, Pakistan — 267 out of 273 Sukkur pilgrims cured of coronavirus, says Murtaza Wahab
Sindh government representative Murtaza Wahab said in a video message that 267 out of the 273 coronavirus patients in the Sukkur quarantine camp had been cured of the coronavirus. He said only six patients of the virus remained.
6:00 pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — KP tested 500 persons on Monday
For the first time, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government tested 500 persons for the novel coronavirus on Monday.
"Total testing in KP yesterday surpassed 500 tests for the first time. Our flagship lab at KMU conducted a record 358 tests. Thank you to the team.
"As promised, we are working to expand govt capacity to over 2000 as soon as possible," tweeted provincial minister Taimur Jhagra.
5:32 pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Lockdown in place for next two weeks, says PM Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced that the ongoing lockdown will continue for the next two weeks as the government wanted to further contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
He said certain industries such as construction will be opened, beginning tomorrow (Wednesday).
Speaking of the government's response to the virus so far, the premier said: "Owing to the restrictions we imposed, the way the virus should have spread, it did not. It only spread to an extent of 30% when compared to our projections."
PM Imran said the projections were based on trends observed worldwide.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he will consult ulema from different schools of thought to decide on how to ensure people are able to pray during the holy month of Ramazan and also stay safe from the coronavirus.
The prime minister announced that the government was about to introduce a 'very strict' ordinance in the next few days which will hand out exemplary punishments to wheat smugglers and hoarders of basic food items.
5:25pm — Quetta, Pakistan — New cases reported in Balochistan taking toll to 248
According to Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani, the number of confirmed cases of the virus have surged to 248 in the province.
5:20pm — Coronavirus cases cross 15,000 in Africa
The number of coronavirus cases in the continent surged past 15,000 on Tuesday, according to the WHO Africa office. The WHO had last week pointed out that there were only five intensive care beds for one million Africans.
In comparison, there are 4,000 per million intensive care beds in Europe.
5:00pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — CJP tests negative for coronavirus
Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed tested negative for the coronavirus, according to a Supreme Court press release. The apex court further said that the chief justice's family had also tested negative for the coronavirus.
4:46pm — Lahore, Pakistan — 30 new COVID-19 infections take provincial tally to 2,856
4:42pm — Global COVID-19 death toll crosses 120,000
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 120,000 people worldwide, nearly 70% of them in Europe, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT from official sources.
A total of 120,013 deaths have now been recorded since the epidemic first emerged in China in December, 81,474 of them in Europe.
The figures were collated using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO).
4:40pm — London, UK — Coronavirus could see GDP fall 13% in 2020: watchdog
Britain's economy could shrink by 13% in 2020 in the case of a three-month coronavirus lockdown, according to a scenario published by fiscal watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility, AFP reported.
"The resulting 13 percent fall in annual GDP in 2020 would comfortably exceed any of the annual falls around the end of each world war or in the financial crisis," the OBR said.
4:26pm — Tehran, Iran — Virus deaths drop below 100 for first time in month
Iran said that the number of lives lost in the country to the novel coronavirus dropped to double figures for the first time in one month, AFP reported
Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 98 deaths from the COVID-19 disease were recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall toll to 4,683.
"Unfortunately, we lost 98 of our compatriots infected with the disease... but after a month of waiting, this is the first day that the death toll has been double figures," he told a televised news conference.
4:22pm London, UK — Coronavirus death toll could be 15% higher than previously shown: new data
Britain’s death toll from the coronavirus could run some 15% higher than official figures have indicated so far, according to broader data published on Tuesday that include deaths in the community such as in nursing homes, Reuters reported.
The Office for National Statistics said 6,235 people in England and Wales had died by April 3 with mentions of COVID-19 on their death certificates.
“When looking at data for England, this is 15% higher than the NHS numbers as they include all mentions of COVID-19 on the death certificate, including suspected COVID-19, as well as deaths in the community,” ONS statistician Nick Stripe said.
Unlike the daily data published by the government that show only deaths in hospitals, Tuesday’s figures include deaths in the community, such as at nursing homes.
In London, nearly half (46.6%) of deaths registered in Week 14 involved COVID-19, the ONS said.
4:10pm — Quetta, Pakistan — New cases take infected tally to 241
Balochistan registered several new COVID-19 cases, which took the province's infected tally to 241, provincial government's spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani confirmed.
Shahwani also said that 124 patients had recovered from coronavirus so far.
3:50pm — Taipei, Taiwan — No new coronavirus cases for first time in a month
Taiwan has reported no new cases of the coronavirus for the first time in more than a month, in the latest sign that the island’s early and effective prevention methods have paid off, Reuters reported.
Taiwan has won plaudits from health experts for how it has fought the virus, including starting as early as Dec 31 checks on passengers arriving from China’s Wuhan city, where the first cases were reported late last year.
“Of course, we hope it has passed,” Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told a news conference, referring to the virus on the island. “But we still need to be on our guard. Of course we feel happy at no new cases today.”
3:30pm — Marid, Spain — Overnight coronavirus death toll at 567, infection rate slows
Spain’s overnight death toll from the coronavirus rose to 567 from 517 a day earlier, while the country reported its lowest increase in new cases since March 18.
According to Reuters, total deaths climbed to 18,056, while confirmed cases of the infection rose by 3,045 to 172,541, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
3:15pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — NAB donates Rs4.6mn to Prime Minister Fund for Corona Relief
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday donated Rs4.6 million to the Prime Minister Fund for Corona Relief.
A spokesperson for the bureau also said that all officers above Grade 20 working at NAB would also donate three days worth of their salaries to the relief fund set up by the premier.
"NAB officers from Grade 17-19 will donate two days worth of their salary to the relief fund. NAB employees from Grade 1-16 will donate one day's salary to the fund," the spokesperson added.
3:00pm — 117m children may miss measles shots due to pandemic
More than 117 million children could miss out on immunisation against measles as the COVID-19 pandemic forces social distancing and piles pressure on health services, Reuters reported.
Measles immunisation campaigns in 24 countries have already been delayed, and more will be postponed, potentially putting children in 37 countries at risk, according to the Measles and Rubella Initiative.
2:45pm — Here are the lessons the world can learn from the virus response of South Korea
2:35pm — Beijing, China — Russian border checks tightened, experimental coronavirus vaccine trials approved
China has approved early-stage human tests for two experimental vaccines to combat the new coronavirus as it battles to contain imported cases, especially from neighbouring Russia, the new “front line” in the war on COVID-19, Reuters reported.
Russia has become China’s largest source of imported cases, with a total of 409 infections originating in the country, and Chinese citizens should stay put and not return home, the state-owned Global Times said in an editorial.
2:25pm — Brussels, Belgium — European politicians, CEOs, lawmakers urge green coronavirus recovery
European politicians, CEOs, lawmakers and activists called on Tuesday for green investment to restart growth after the coronavirus pandemic, saying fighting climate change and promoting biodiversity would rebuild stronger economies, Reuters reported.
Europe is headed for a steep recession triggered by the global outbreak as it has gone into a virtual lockdown from mid-March, shutting down most travel, businesses and educational institutions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
1:55pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh’s tally of confirmed cases crosses 1,500, nationwide tally rises to 5,782
Sindh’s tally of confirmed cases rose to 1,518 after 66 new cases were reported in the province on Tuesday.
The number of confirmed cases in the country now stands at 5,782.
1:40pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Confirmed deaths from coronavirus hits 100
Nationwide tally of deaths from the coronavirus rose to 100 after four new deaths were reported in Sindh.
According to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the provincial tally now stands at 35 and the ratio of deaths from the virus in the province is now at 2.3%.
1:25pm - Moscow, Russia — Russia's cases surpass 20,000 in record daily rise
Russia on Tuesday reported 2,774 new cases of the coronavirus, a record daily rise, bringing its overall nationwide tally to 21,102, the country’s coronavirus response centre said.
It said 170 people in Russia diagnosed with the virus have now died, an overnight rise of 22.
1:03pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — NCOC meeting readies recommendation for NCC
A meeting at the National Command and Control Centre held under the chairmanship of federal minister Asad Umar formed recommendations for different sectors from April 14 onwards. The recommendations will be sent to the NCC for approval.
The meeting formed guidelines to open up different industries in phases and also developed guidelines for the religious congregation during Ramzan.
12:40pm - Dubai, UAE — Two flights to bring back 410 Pakistani prisoners
Pakistan’s Consulate in Dubai has announced that two special flights will bring back 410 Pakistani prisoners released from UAE jails.
The consulate stated that the prisoners will be transferred to Peshawar and Faisalabad, adding that UAE had released 700 Pakistanis from their prisons due to the coronavirus outbreak.
12:31pm - Lahore, Punjab — CM Punjab to travel to Rawalpindi, Gojar Khan and Mandi Bahauddin today
Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar will review the coronavirus arrangements in Rawalpindi, Gojar Khan and Mandi Bahauddin today, announced provincial government spokesperson Musarrat Cheema.
12:23pm - Karachi, Pakistan — PIA unveils new schedule for special flights
Pakistan International Airlines has issued a new schedule of relief flights that it will undertake in the coming days to bring back stranded Pakistanis, said the spokesperson of the national carrier.
According to the new schedule, two PIA flights will depart for Manchester from Islamabad on April 17 and 18. He added that PK 8852 and PK 8894 will travel to Seoul from Islamabad.
The spokesperson added that a special flight from Karachi to Jakarta will also depart on April 18. He added that PIA will also launch two more flights for Toronto and will leave from Islamabad and Karachi from April 15 and 19.
The national airline has also announced that on April 17 a special flight will bring back Pakistanis stranded in UAE.
The spokesperson stated that the booking can be done on PIA’s website, offices and call centres.
12:10pm — Geneva, Switzerland — WHO warns of virus resurgence as countries ease restrictions
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has once again warned that lifting restrictions too soon could lead to a deadly resurgence of COVID-19.
The remarks were made by Director-Generaleral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus while speaking at a virtual press conference from Geneva as some countries announced they were easing their social and economic restrictions amid the outbreak.
Ghebreyesus said a new strategy will be published to summarise what the world has already learned about the new virus. He added that every country should implement a comprehensive set of measures to save lives, to reach a steady-state of low-level or no transmission.
12:00pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Asad Umar chairs NCOC meeting
Planning Minister Asad Umar is chairing a meeting of the National Command and Operation Center in Islamabad.
The meeting will review the steps taken to control the spread of the virus in the country. The meeting is expected to finalise recommendations for National Coordination Committee's approval in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, reported Radio Pakistan.
The meeting is being attended by federal ministers, SAPMs, finance adviser along with the provincial chief ministers and chief secretaries.
11:55am — Karachi, Pakistan — Karachi, KP and Balochistan traders announce resumption of activities from Wednesday
President City Traders Association Sharjeel Goplani has said they will announce the resumption of trade activities in Karachi from tomorrow.
“Will keep all precautionary measures in mind while re-opening businesses,” Goplani said, adding that the government had failed to provide for the daily wagers.
Traders in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa announced the resumption of activities from Wednesday as well, saying that they were unable to handle the effects of the lockdown.
11:45am — Berlin, Germany — Cases rise by 2,082, deaths by 170
Germany's number of confirmed coronavirus infections has risen by 2,082 to 125,098, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.
The reported death toll has risen by 170 to 2,969.
Global coronavirus cases at 1.88 million, death toll crosses 119,000
More than 1.88 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 119,168 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
11:15am — Karachi, Pakistan — Police, Rangers continue to be deployed in metropolis as lockdown enters 23rd day
Police and Rangers continue to be deployed in Karachi as the lockdown entered its 23rd day in the port city on Tuesday.
Eleven union councils in Karachi’s East district have been sealed, with residents confined to their homes as public transport and unnecessary businesses continue to remain closed.
10:55am — Islamabad, Pakistan — NDMA dismisses reports of rift between NDMA chairman and CM Sindh
The National Disaster Management Authority has dismissed reports regarding the exchange of words between Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal and Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah in yesterday's NCC meeting.
Earlier, a journalist had claimed on Twitter that Lt Gen Afzal had “yelled” at CM Murad for his comments regarding the testing kits provided by the federal government.
10:48am - US coronavirus death toll tops 23,000 - Reuters tally
US deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 23,000 on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, as officials said the worst may be over and the outbreak could reach its peak this week.
The United States, with the world’s third-largest population, has recorded more fatalities from COVID-19 than any other country. There were a total of nearly 570,000 US cases as of Monday with over 1.8 million reported cases globally.
Deaths reported on Sunday numbered 1,513, the smallest increase since 1,309 died on April 6. The largest number of fatalities, over 10,000, was in New York state with the concentration in and around New York City, the most populous US city with about 8.4 million people.
Wyoming reported its first coronavirus death on Monday, the final US state to report a fatality in the outbreak.
10:46am — Berlin, Germany — Germany's coronavirus cases rise by 2,082, deaths by 170
Germany’s number of confirmed coronavirus infections has risen by 2,082 to 125,098, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday, marking the fourth decline in the number of new cases after four days of increases.
The reported death toll has risen by 170 to 2,969.
10:45am - Bangkok, Thailand — Thailand reports 34 new coronavirus cases, one more death
Thailand on Tuesday reported 34 new coronavirus cases and a death of a 52-year old Thai female bus driver in Bangkok.
Of the new cases, 27 patients are linked to previous cases, four with no links to old cases, while two people who tested positive are awaiting investigation into how they were infected, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government’s Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration.
A Thai national who tested positive on Tuesday was already under quarantine after traveling to South Sulawesi province, Indonesia for a religious gathering last month.
Since the outbreak escalated in January, Thailand has reported a total of 2,613 cases and 41 fatalities, while 1,405 patients have recovered and gone home.
10:35am — Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan — Five more people test positive for virus
Five more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Dera Ismail Khan, the deputy commissioner of the area told the media in statement on Tuesday morning.
A resident of the city was tested positive for the virus along with three family remembers and a friend, the deputy commissioner said, adding that the locality where the virus-positive patients lived had been sealed.
10:25am — Tehran, Iran — 111 more deaths reported, country-wide toll rises to 4,585
Another 111 deaths from COVID-19 were reported in Iran on Monday, according to AFP. The health ministry confirmed the fatalities as the official virus death toll in the country rose to 4,585.
Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 1,617 new infections took the total number of cases in the country’s outbreak to 73,303, of whom 45,983 had recovered.
10:15am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Interior minister Shah meets religious affairs minister Qadri
Federal Minister for Interior Ijaz Shah on Tuesday met Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri to discuss the situation arising out of the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the country.
The two ministers discussed in detail the plans that the government wants to put into place for the holy month of Ramzan amid orders for restricted prayer congregations to contain the spread of the virus.
10:00am — New Delhi, India — Nationwide lockdown extended till May 3
India has extended a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus till May 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced early on Tuesday morning, AFP reported.
Modi said the government will closely monitor virus hotspots in states across India and added that those areas where there are no hotspots will get partial relief.
“Till April 20, all districts, localities, states will be closely monitored, as to how strictly they are implementing norms. States where hotspots are contained could be allowed to resume important activities," he said.
9:50am — Paris, France — Luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton is now making face masks
9:40am — Multan, Pakistan — Six more doctors at Nishtar Hospital test positive for virus
Six more doctors at the Nishtar Hospital in Multan have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the hospital staff confirmed on Tuesday.
According to the staff, 22 doctors at the hospital have tested positive for the virus so far. More virus tests of doctors, paramedics, and other officials related to the hospital are being carried out, the hospital administration said.
9:30am — Islamabad, Pakistan — PM Imran to chair important NCC meeting
Prime Minister Imran Khan will on Tuesday chair an important meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) to discuss the coroanvirus situation across the country.
The NCC is expected to take a formal decision with regards to extending a country-wide lockdown enforced late last month to contain the spread of the novel coroanvirus.
9:15am — Beijing, China — Fearful of virus return, Beijing turns into virtual fortress
Beijing has virtually walled itself off to outsiders with drastic measures to protect China's seat of power against the threat of a second wave of coronavirus infections from other regions, AFP reported.
After largely getting the outbreak under control, China has banned foreigners from entering the country as authorities fret over an increase in cases imported from abroad - though most have been Chinese citizens.
But Beijing has gone a step further, imposing a strict 14-day quarantine on people arriving from other parts of China, regardless of whether they test negative for COVID-19 - a measure not required in other cities.
For our April 13 coronavirus coverage click here.
For our April 12 coronavirus coverage click here.
