Coronavirus updates, May 11: Latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from Pakistan and around the world
Nationwide death toll climbs to 706, total cases jump past 32,700; global death toll passes 281,000
Updated Monday May 11 2020
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 32,044 on Monday after new infections were confirmed in the country.
The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 11:57pm, May 11, is as follows:
Total confirmed cases: 32,044
• Sindh: 12,017
• Punjab: 11,568
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 4,875
• Balochistan: 2,061
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 679
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 457
• AJK: 86
Deaths: 706
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 257
• Sindh: 200
• Balochistan: 27
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 4
• Punjab: 211
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 6
Officials have recorded more than 4.13 million cases and more than 281,000 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 MAY 11
Live updates for May 12 to begin here.
11:57pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab's COVID-19 death toll reaches 211, infections cross 11,850
11:55pm — Santiago, Chile — Infections surpass 30,000, country braces for winter
Chile has surpassed 30,000 cases of the new coronavirus, the health ministry said, amid a spike in infections that has put hospitals under stress and raised fears of complications with the arrival of the southern hemisphere winter, Reuters reported.
The health ministry said in its daily briefing that total cases since the outbreak began in early March had hit 30,063, while 323 people have died.
The tally puts Chile fourth for confirmed cases in Latin America, according to a Reuters count, behind Brazil, Peru and Mexico, but just ahead of Ecuador.
11:50pm — New Delhi, India — Country looks to ease lockdown even as coronavirus infections jump
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country would look to ease a nearly seven-week lockdown aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus, despite also reporting its biggest single-day jump in cases, Reuters reported.
Modi told the heads of Indian states in a video call the federal government would look at a “gradual withdrawal” of the lockdown, which has been repeatedly extended until May 17.
“We have a twofold challenge – to reduce the transmission rate of the disease, and to increase public activity gradually,” Modi said.
“Even as we look at the gradual withdrawal of the lockdown, we should constantly remember that till we do not find a vaccine or a solution, the biggest weapon with us to the fight the virus is social distancing.”
11:46pm — Ottawa, Canada — In Quebec province, deconfinement takes baby steps with schools re-opening
The Canadian province of Quebec, where a majority of cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, have been tallied countrywide, re-opened some of its schools, as some parents and teachers expressed uncertainty over the move’s safety, Reuters reported.
Elementary schools and kindergartens gradually re-opened outside of Montreal, Quebec’s largest city, with strict instructions from authorities to maintain social distancing intended to alleviate worries among teachers about risks to their health.
In a press conference, Quebec Premier Francois Legault emphasized the spread of the virus in regions where schools had re-opened on Monday was slower than that of Montreal, where elementary schools are slated to re-open in two weeks. School re-opening in Montreal could be postponed depending on progress made, Legault said.
“We have to go gradually,” he added. “Schools are important, they are an essential service for children.”
Quebec makes up 24% of the Canadian population, but it accounts for nearly 55% of COVID-19 cases and nearly 60% of the deaths. Canada has so far reported 69,156 cases of COVID-19, and 4,906 deaths.
11:41pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Details of Ehsaas Cash Programme
11:30pm — Boost for bikes as Europeans gear up for coronavirus commute
Bicycles could play a central role in more major European cities as governments scramble to get commuters back to work without crowding buses or trains after coronavirus lockdowns are eased.
Britain, a laggard compared to its continental neighbours when it comes to cycling to work, is now encouraging people to get in the saddle as part of a 250 million pound ($308 million)emergency active travel fund announced last week.
And in France, home to the world’s most famous bike race, the government plans to invest 20 million euros ($22 million) to develop and subsidise two-wheel travel, which like Britain will include temporary bike lanes.
While Amsterdam in the Netherlands and many cities across northern Europe are geared up for cycle commuting, in other countries a lack of infrastructure has limited bike usage.
11:25pm — Paris, France — Minister blames mistakes for virus outbreak on aircraft carrier
France’s armed forces minister blamed an outbreak of the coronavirus that infected more than 1,000 sailors through its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier fleet on mistakes made during efforts to counter the disease’s spread, Reuters reported.
All but one of the sailors, about two dozen of whom were hospitalised, had now fully recovered, Florence Parly told parliament’s defence committee.
“Based on the information we have today there were errors in the measures taken to fight the coronavirus,” Parly said.
“The investigation shows the commanders and their medical advisers overestimated the ability of the aircraft carrier and its flotilla to face the coronavirus.”
The rapid spread of the disease on board the Charles de Gaulle, a 42-tonne warship with more than 1,700 sailors, has raised questions similar to those that arose from an outbreak on board the U.S. carrier Theodore Roosevelt.
Parly said the investigation had shown the coronavirus arrived between a stopover in Cyprus at the end of February and a March 13-16 stopover in the French western port city of Brest, probably after people were brought on board in air rotations.
11:20pm — London, UK — Britain issues guidance for employers as lockdown cautiously eased
Britain published guidance for employers on how they should begin the cautious re-opening of the economy after Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid out a planned route towards an easing of the coronavirus lockdown, Reuters reported.
The guidance said employers should re-design workspaces to maintain 2-metre distances between workers, operate staggered shift systems if necessary and use barriers to minimise risk of virus transmission in workspaces where there cannot be physical distancing.
11:16pm — Goods transporters demand relief package
Federal and Provincial governments should give a relief package for goods transporters, All Pakistan Goods Transporters Association Secretary General Tariq Nabil said.
"Millions of households associated with goods and public transport have been affected due due to cornavirus," Nabil said.
He appealed to the government to take necessary steps and help the transporters in these pressing times.
11:07pm — Rabat, Morocco — Pakistanis stranded appeal for repatriation
Several Pakistanis are stranded in Morocco due to lockdown restrictions, Pakistani trader Altaf Chisti said while speaking to Geo News.
“I had come here on business purposes […] I have contacted the embassy and informed them that 11 Pakistanis want to go back to the county,” he said.
He appealed to the embassy to send him to another country where he and the others stranded could get a flight back to Pakistan.
11:05pm — Tehran, Iran — All mosques to reopen on Tuesday
All mosques in Iran will reopen on Tuesday, a further step in the government’s plans to ease restrictions that aimed to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, the official IRIB news agency said, Reuters reported.
The decision to reopen the mosques was made in consultation with the ministry of health, IRIB quoted Mohammad Qomi, the director of the Islamic Development Organisation, as saying.
Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday that a county in southwestern Iran had been placed under lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. It also quoted the governor of Khuzestan province, where the county is located, as saying there had been a sharp rise in new cases across the province.
11:00pm — Edinburgh, Scotland — Too soon to start easing lockdown Scotland, Sturgeon says
It is too soon to begin easing coronavirus lockdown measures in Scotland, its First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out a cautious plan to get lift some restrictions, Reuters reported.
“There will of course be risks whenever we start to ease the lockdown. But my judgement right now is that the risk is too great,” Sturgeon said in a televised address.
“Too many people are still dying, and the situation in care homes — despite the extraordinary dedication of our care workers — remains a serious concern.”
10:55pm — Ankara, Turkey — Erdogan imposes four-day lockdown from Saturday
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that a lockdown would be imposed starting on Saturday and ending after Tuesday, May 19, which is a national holiday, Reuters reported.
Ankara has imposed lockdowns in major cities over the past four weekends, as well as on national holidays to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdogan said intercity travel restrictions on nine more cities had been lifted, as Turkey gradually eases measures taken against the coronavirus.
The restrictions on the three largest cities, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, remain in place.
10:51pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan reports One more death, 44 new cases
Balochistan reported anther death from COVID-19 and 44 new infections taking the province's death toll to 27 and infected tally to 2,061, authorities confirmed.
10:45pm — Geneva, Switzerland — WHO says 'extreme vigilance' needed in exit from lockdowns
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that “extreme vigilance” was needed as countries begin to exit from lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, amid global concerns about a second wave of infections.
“Now we are seeing some hope as many countries exit these lockdowns,” Dr Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s emergencies programme, told an online news briefing, but he added that “extreme vigilance is required”.
“If the disease persists at a low level without the possibility to investigate clusters there’s always the possibility that the virus takes off again,” he said.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the same briefing that lifting restrictions was “complex and difficult” and that the “slow, steady lifting of lockdowns” was key.
Tedros said that Germany, South Korea and China all had systems in place to respond to any resurgence in cases.
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10:35pm — Geneva, Switzerland — 'Smokers have higher risk of severe disease and death
10:31pm — Rome, Italy — Fewer than 1,000 virus patients in intensive care in Italy
Italy reported fewer than 1,000 people in intensive care treatment for the novel coronavirus for the first time since March 10 when the country went into confinement, the civil protection agency said, AFP reported.
The number of daily deaths rose slightly to 179 from the last report of 165, but was still the third consecutive day below 200 fatalities, the agency added.
10:26pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Information ministry launches 'mask for all' campaign
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz initiated "Masks for all" a campaign as part of government's measures to contain COVID-19, Radio Pakistan reported.
The ministry in collaboration Chainstore Association of Pakistan aims to distribute five million masks across the country, he Faraz said.
10:21pm — Accra, Ghana — Man infects 533 others with COVID-19
10:15pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — GB COVID-19 cases at a glance
10:10pm — Gilgit, Pakistan — GB imposes ban on inter-district transportation
The Deputy Commission Gilgit-Baltistan announced that a ban had been imposed on inter-provincial transportation in a bid to stem COVID-19, meanwhile, those having certified passed from the DC's office will be permitted to travel.
10:05pm — Rome, Italy — Daily coronavirus new cases fall, death toll edges up
Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 179, against 165 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, as the daily tally of new cases fell to 744 from 802 on Sunday, Reuters reported.
The total number of confirmed cases amounted to 219,814, the fifth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Spain, Britain and Russia.
People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 82,488 from 83,324 the day before.
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9:55pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Repatriated Pakistanis to be tested without delay
9:50pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Federal Capital's cases at a glance
9:40pm — Moscow, Russia — Putin orders gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown despite surge in cases
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown measures despite a new surge in infections which took Russia’s tally past Italy’s, making it the fourth highest in the world, Reuters reported.
Putin, in a televised nationwide address, said that from Tuesday he would start lifting restrictions that had forced many people to work from home and businesses to temporarily close.
He unveiled new support measures for businesses and for families with children who have seen their livelihoods devastated. He said unemployment had doubled to 1.4 million in a month and he wanted to try to stop it spiralling higher.
9:10pm - Washington, USA — Trump, an eye on re-election, accuses Democrats of reopening US states too slowly
President Donald Trump accused Democrats on Monday of moving to reopen US states from coronavirus lockdown measures too slowly for political advantage, without providing evidence to support his claim.
The Republican president, who is running for re-election in November, is working to reopen the crippled economy quickly against recommendations from health experts to move more cautiously to avoid a resurgence of the virus that has so far killed more than 80,000 people in the United States.
Trump has encouraged states to ease restrictions designed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. On Monday, he targeted the election battleground state of Pennsylvania, which has a Democratic governor, Tom Wolf.
“The great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now, and they are fully aware of what that entails. The Democrats are moving slowly, all over the USA, for political purposes. They would wait until November 3rd if it were up to them. Don’t play politics. Be safe, move quickly!” Trump said in a Twitter post.
9:05pm - Geneva, Switzerland — WHO chief says 'slow, steady lifting' of coronavirus lockdowns key
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that the “slow, steady lifting of lockdowns” was key, as a jump in new coronavirus cases in South Korea and Germany raised global concerns about a second wave of infections.
“Lifting lockdowns are both complex and difficult,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an online news briefing, adding that Germany, South Korea and China all had systems in place to respond to any resurgence in cases.
8:50pm - PPP leader Nafisa Shah's sister tests positive for coronvirus
8:45pm — Gilgit, Gilgit Baltistan — Country's tally of positive cases jumps to 31,699
Confirmed cases in the country climbed to 31,699 after new cases were detected in Gilgit Baltistan.
According to GB health department, 15 new cases were recorded in the region in the last 24 hours.
8:40pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Markets to open up in Islamabad after successful talks
All markets in Islamabad will open as per the government SOPs after negotiations between the trades and DC Islamabad ended successfully.
Trade leader Ajmal Bloch stated that the markets will open up and follow the SOPs and the shopkeeper will be held responsible if the SOPs are not followed.
8:35pm - Dubai, UAE — Abu Dhabi's Etihad lays off staff, warns of further cuts: sources
Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways has laid off a large number of employees due to the coronavirus pandemic that has shattered global travel demand, and warned staff to brace for further cuts, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The state-owned airline declined to comment. But during a previously unreported US-UAE Business Council webinar on April 29, Etihad Chief Executive Tony Douglas said the airline had made "quite sizeable redundancies".
It was not immediately clear how many employees had been affected or from which departments.
Etihad has grounded scheduled passenger flights and temporarily cut wages by as much as 50%. It has said it plans to restart flights from mid-June.
The company had 20,520 employees as of August 2019, according to its website.
8:30pm - WHO holds meeting to discuss proposed case control study in KP
WHO Country Representative Pakistan Dr Palitha Mahipala on Monday chaired a virtual meeting on the proposed case control study for understanding the risk factors and co-morbidities of COVID-19 mortality in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The meeting was attended by the Director Polio Operations and Research, Dr Hamid Jafary, Incident Manager, Dr Michael Lukwiya, Polio Team lead, Dr Jamal Ahmed and Dr Mohammad Gedi.
The participants reviewed the design objectives and the methodology of the case control stud
8:25pm - Beijing, China — China's Wuhan plans city-wide testing for coronavirus over period of 10 days: sources
The Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of China’s coronavirus outbreak, plans to conduct city-wide nucleic acid testing over a period of 10 days, according to an internal document seen by Reuters and two sources familiar with the situation.
Every district in the city has been told to submit a detailed testing plan by Tuesday for their respective area, the document showed.
The Wuhan health authority could not be immediately reached for comment outside of business hours.
The city of 11 million people reported its first cluster of new infections over the weekend, after a months-long lockdown was lifted on April 8.
8:10pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — PIA flight carrying stranded Pakistanis in US lands in Islamabad
PIA’s first flight carrying stranded Pakistanis from the US landed in Islamabad, said the national carrier.
PIA stated that 179 Pakistanis were brought back to Pakistan on PK8722. It added that they will bring back more Pakistanis stranded in the US in the future.
8:05pm - Lahore, Pakistan — Buzdar, Elahi call deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi called Deputy provincial assembly speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari about his health.
The two leaders prayed for the quick recovery of the deputy speaker in the conversation.
7:50pm - Santiago, Chile — Chile surpasses 30,000 cases of coronavirus, braces for winter
Chile has surpassed 30,000 cases of coronavirus, the health ministry said on Monday, amid a spike in infections that has seen critical care units fill up quickly, leaving the country teetering on edge ahead of the coming southern hemisphere winter.
The health ministry said total cases since the outbreak began in early March had hit 30,063, while 323 people had died from the disease.
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7:00pm - Saudi Arabia's confirm cases crosses 41,000
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6:55pm - Lahore, Pakistan — PIA aircraft carrying aid for Punjab government arrives in Lahore
A PIA aircraft carrying medical aid sent by Punjab’s sister provinces in China Hubei, Xian, Shangdong, Jiangsu and Ningxia arrived in Lahore on Monday.
“China has donated Rs100 million worth of medical equipment to the Punjab government,” said Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, while receiving the medical equipment at Lahore airport.
CM Buzdar said the equipment brought by the PIA includes personal protective equipments, protective suits, N-95 and surgical masks, gloves.
6:45pm - Berlin, Germany — We must stick to basic rules even as coronavirus lockdown eases: Merkel
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday stressed that people needed to continue keeping their distance from one another and covering their mouths and noses even as Germany eases some of the restrictions it had imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“It’s very important to me to again draw attention to the fact that we’re entering a new phase of the pandemic and that it will now be necessary, with all the easing of measures, to be sure that people stick to the basic rules i.e. keeping their distance, wearing mouth and nose protection and showing consideration for each other,” Merkel told reporters.
6:40pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Murad Saeed hits back at opposition for raising questions regarding fed govt's coroanvirus response
Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed hit back at the opposition for raising questions against the federal government's dealing of the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Saeed told the oppsotion that the incumbent government was trying to fix the 70 year old system that was in place because of the previous rulers.
"I have always said they come here to spread confusion. They should speak about everything," said Saeed. He also questioned why the lockdown was successful in Lahore but unsuccessful in Sindh.
6:15pm - Dubai, UAE — Coronavirus cases in Gulf Arab region surpass 100,000
The number of coronavirus cases in the six Gulf Arab states surpassed 100,000 on Monday, with 557 deaths, according to Reuters calculations based on official figures.
Coronavirus infections in the energy producing region had initially been linked to travel. But despite taking early measures to combat the virus, Gulf states have seen a spread among low-income migrant workers living in cramped quarters, prompting authorities to ramp up testing.
Saudi Arabia, the largest Gulf state with a population of about 30 million, has the highest count at 41,014 infections and 255 deaths. It recorded 1,966 new cases and nine new deaths on Monday. The daily number of new cases in the kingdom first crossed the 1,000 threshold on April 18.
Health authorities said in April the virus could eventually infect between 10,000 and 200,000 people in Saudi Arabia.
Elsewhere in the region, the tiny state of Qatar on May 5 overtook regional business hub the United Arab Emirates as having the second highest infection count among the six states.
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6:05pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Bilawal deplores PM Imran's absence in NA session
Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari lamented that Prime Minister Imran Khan chose to not attend the National Assembly session being held amid the coronavirus crisis.
“Unfortunately our Prime Minister, who is also our health minister is not present in the National Assembly session, he doesn’t think it is part of his job to brief the nation and the assembly on coronavirus,” said Bilawal. He added that this was not a political criticism but reminded that it was a part of PM Imran’s job.
“It would be better if the PM would be present here because of the ministry [health ministry] that he has, whose Special Assistant [Dr Zafar Mirza] is present here but cannot speak,” said the lawmaker from Larkana.
The PPP chairman also deplored that the lawmakers were expecting that there would be a debate on how to spread awareness regarding coronavirus.
"Unfortunately, the foreign minister, who was assigned the task targeted Sindh and 18th amendment," said Bilawal.
5:55pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — Nationwide death toll rises to 691
Death toll from the novel coronavirus climbed to 691 after new deaths were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to KP health department, 12 new deaths were reported in the province in the last 24 hours.
With the new deaths KP's tally now stands at 257.
5:55pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — Country's tally of positive cases jumps to 31,684
Confirmed cases in the country climbed to 31,648 after new cases were detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to KP health department, 206 new cases were recorded in the province in the last 24 hours.
“130 patients [have] recovered taking total to 1,257,” said the health department.
5:45pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh govt revises restriction timings
5:25pm - Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab education minister forms committee to plan reopening of schools
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5:15pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Govt announce new policies for people flying into Pakistan
5:10pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh Assembly speaker rejects PTI's request to summon session
Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani has rejected the PTI’s request to summon the provincial lawmakers due to the coronavirus.
“Calling a session would be like inviting coronavirus in the assembly,” Durrani said, in response to opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi’s letter seeking the summoning of the session.
The speaker told the PTI leader that anyone can have the coronavirus and no lawmaker is safe from it. He added that most lawmakers are in their constituency.
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5:00pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Senate to meet tomorrow to discuss coroanvirus situation
The Senate will meet tomorrow at 11am to discuss the coronavirus situation in the country, according to the agenda issued by the secretariat.
The senators will debate on the government’s response to the coronavirus and review the health capacity of the country.
4:55pm - Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh govt issues notification of reopening four more departments
Sindh government has announced that four more departments would be allowed to open after the lockdown eased in the country.
According to a notification, energy, transport, environment and coastal development department officials have been asked to reopen their offices from May 12.
4:45pm - Wellington, New Zealand — New Zealand to reopen malls, cafes from Thursday as virus curbs eased
New Zealand businesses including malls, cinemas, cafes and gyms will reopen on Thursday after some of the tightest restrictions in the world to stop the spread of the coronavirus were further loosened on Monday.
The Pacific nation was locked down for more than month under “level 4” restrictions that were eased by a notch in late April. It has continued to enforce strict social measures on many of its citizens and businesses, helping prevent widespread community spread of the virus.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the staggered move to “level 2” restrictions will mean retail, restaurants and other public spaces including playgrounds can reopen from Thursday.
Schools can open from next Monday while bars can only reopen from May 21, Ardern said. Gatherings would be limited to 10 people.
“The upshot is that in 10 days’ time we will have reopened most businesses in New Zealand, and sooner than many other countries around the world,” Ardern told a news conference.
4:40pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Asif lashes out at govt over relaxation of lockdown in country
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz parliamentary leader Khawaja Asif lashed out the federal government over its decision to relax the lockdown despite the rising coronavirus cases in the country.
Asif also hit out at the government over its decision to implement smart lockdown in the country after the death toll rose to 100-150’
“PM Imran said peak would come at the end of May but we decided to reopen the lockdown,” said Asif, adding that the government response was ‘confused’.
“If we would have continued to the lockdown then it would have given us the strength to tackle the lockdown,” Asif told the National Assembly.
The former foreign minister also demanded the government to share the figures with the lower house of Parliament.
The PML-N leader also criticised Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for citing examples of Spain, Italy and France where people are protesting and demanding the government to life restrictions.
“People in Italy, France and Spain are calling an end for the lockdown because the worse is over. We haven’t reached our peak. This is not a good example.” Asif told the NA.
4:30pm - Islamabad, Pakistan — Pakistan’s responded constructively to coronavirus crisis: FM Qureshi tells NA
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has stated that Pakistan’s response to the coronavirus crisis is “constructive to the pandemic”.
“Compared to other countries, Pakistan has not hit its coronavirus peak. We have shown a constructive response to the pandemic by increasing our testing capacity,” said Qureshi while speaking in the National Assembly.
Qureshi said when the first case was reported on February 26, the country’s testing capacity was at 100. “Our testing capacity now stands at 20.000 tests per day. We now have 70 functional labs across the country capable of conducting tests. We improved our testing capacity so that we could get a clearer picture of the pandemic in the country.”
To date, Pakistan’s testing is the highest among all the South Asian countries, he remarked.
Comparing the death average of Pakistan with global figures, the foreign minister said the country’s death ratio was 2.17% compared to the global ration of 6.8%.
“When the pandemic came to Pakistan we took major decisions to stem its spread. We formed two forums: the National Com¬mand and Operation Centre to come up with decisions which would mutually benefit all,” he said.
The foreign minister said the bodies met every day to maintain the trajectory of the cases and to get the updates from all provinces.
“Our aim is to build a national consensus while strategising the best for all provinces while providing flexibility to provinces,” Qureshi said. “Coronavirus is a national emergency and not a regional health hazard therefore any decision we take must be taken keeping in mind the entire country.”
Qureshi told the House that the world was facing unprecedented challenge like never before.
“After WWII this is one of the biggest catalysts that the world has seen so far,” he said.
He added, “Health experts around the world are trying their level best to come up with strategies to curb the virus till we get a virus. Till now over 209 countries have been affected by the virus with more than 277,000 killed.”
“Irrespective of Pakistan’s response towards the virus, no country around the world was seen fully-prepared to battle out the virus. The world is learning with time,” he noted.
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3:55pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — All board exams are cancelled: Education minister
Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has said that all board exams across the country have been cancelled.
He added that issues related to retake of exams will be addressed by Friday.
3:45pm — Islamabad, Pakistan – NA session gets underway to discuss COVID-19 pandemic
A session of the National Assembly is underway to discuss and debate the current situation in the country arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.
The session of the National Assembly was summoned by President Arif Alvi last week.
3:30pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Dr Zafar urges masses to strictly follow precautionary measures
Special Assistant to PM on National Health Services, Dr Zafar Mirza says the government is ensuring effective measures on daily basis to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, reported Radio Pakistan.
Mirza urged the masses to strictly follow precautionary measures being issued by the federation and provinces about the pandemic.
He added the virus could be stemmed by adopting precautionary measures.
3:15pm — Moscow, Russia — Russia reports record rise in number of new coronavirus cases
Russia on Monday reported a record rise in the number of new coronavirus infections with 11,656 new cases in the last 24 hours.
The country's coronavirus response centre also reported 94 new deaths, taking the overall death toll to 2,009 people
Beijing rolls out bracelets to monitor students temperature
Beijing is rolling out smart bracelets to measure the body temperature of students who have returned to class as schools gradually reopen in the city.
According to reports, the bracelets are equipped with a sensor that can monitor students’ real-time body temperature and send out an alert if an abnormal temperature is detected.
3:00pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Another police officer dies from virus
Another police officer died in Karachi after contracting the virus, a spokesperson for the police said on Monday.
“Till now four police officials have died in the city after contracting the virus,” the spokesperson said.
He added 152 police officials have been infected so far. “Thirty officials have recovered while 118 are under treatment,” the spokesperson added
2:45pm — Aden, Yemen — Yemen declares Aden an 'infested' city as coronavirus spread
Yemeni authorities declared Aden an "infested" city on Monday after the number of coronavirus cases there jumped and clashes erupted elsewhere in the south between separatists and government forces.
The Aden-based national coronavirus committee late on Sunday announced 17 new COVID-19 cases, 10 of them in the southern port city, to raise the total count in areas to 51 with eight deaths.
The committee said Aden had been declared an "infested city" due to the spread of the coronavirus and other diseases already rife in the country after recent flooding. It said movement from Aden to other regions was barred, except for the transport of goods.
2:35pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Deputy NA speaker reviews screening arrangements at Parliament House
Deputy NA Speaker Qasim Suri visited different areas of the Parliament House to ensure there were adequate screening facilities available.
“Need to make sure tests of media workers, MNAs are being done,” Suri said.
He added that there should not be any complaints about the testing facilities.
Speaking about the arrangements for the NA session, Suri said tests of members were being done in the Parliament Lodges. “A digital machine at the entrance will take the temperature of everyone coming in. If any MNA enters without a mask, the machine will identify them.”
All MNAs will be given gloves, face masks and sanitizers upon entry, he added.
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2:20pm — Manila, Philippines — Coronavirus infections breach 11,000 mark
The Philippines' confirmed coronavirus infections have broken past the 11,000 mark, the health ministry said on Monday.
In a bulletin, the health ministry reported 292 additional cases, bringing the total to 11,086. The country has also recorded seven more deaths, increasing the total to 726.
2:00pm — Singapore, Singapore — Health ministry confirms 486 new coronavirus cases
Singapore's health ministry said on Monday it confirmed 486 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally of infections to 23,822.
The health ministry said the number of cases, the lowest in a week, was partly distorted by fewer tests being processed as one of its laboratories was recalibrating apparatus after 33 false positives were identified.
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1:40pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh coronavirus death toll hits 200
Death toll from the novel coronavirus climbed to 678 after new deaths were reported in Sindh.
According to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, 11 deaths were reported in the province in the last 24 hours.
Sindh is now the second province in the country to report 200 deaths after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
1:30pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh reports 537 new cases, nationwide tally jumps to 31,000
Confirmed cases in the country climbed to 31,478 after new cases were detected in Sindh.
According to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, 537 new cases were recorded in the province in the last 24 hours, with 432 of the new cases reported from Karachi.
“2,149 patients have recovered in the province so far,” Shah said, adding that they have conducted 95,053 tests so far.
1:20pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Passengers to immediately undergo COVID-19 test after returning: Moeed Yusuf
SAPM to PM on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Moeed Yusuf has said that every Pakistani who returns to the country from abroad will immediately undergo a test at the quarantine centre or a hotel after landing.
“When passengers return they will immediately undergo a test unlike our previous policy of waiting for 48 hours,” Yusaf said during a press conference on Monday.
“The passengers can go and have their tests done either at a private facility or a government facility. After their test results come back, it will be up to the provincial governments to decide whether they want to send those who have tested negative for the virus to isolate at home or not,” he said.
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1:15pm — Karachi, Pakistan — No customer to be allowed to enter shop without face mask: Commissioner Karachi
The Commissioner Karachi has said that no customer will be allowed to enter the premises unless they were wearing face masks.
“No customer should be allowed to enter the shop without a face mask,” he said.
He added that it was the responsibility of the shopkeepers to ensure SOPs were being followed. “The staff should maintain a distance of six feet at all times and the shop must be disinfected every three to four hours,” he said.
“In case of too many customers, circles should be made on the floor to ensure distancing,” he said, adding that strict action will be taken against those violating the SOPs.
1:00pm — Paris, France — France emerges cautiously from lockdown
France tiptoed out of one of Europe’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns on Monday, reopening shops, factories and some schools to revive the economy but wary of the risks of a second wave of infections.
With the world’s fifth-highest official death toll, France is allowing a return to workplaces with social distancing measures and re-opening schools in phases. The country’s 67 million people can now leave home without government paperwork.
Global coronavirus cases pass 4.13 million, death toll nears 282,000
More than 4.13 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 281,778 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.
12:30pm — London, UK — UK economy will not be back to work until July at very earliest: Raab
The British government said non-essential retailers would not go back to work until June at the earliest while other sectors will not go back to work until July at the earliest, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Monday.
"There are the other changes for things like non-essential retail and people going back to school, particularly primary school, which won't start until the earliest on the first of June, subject to conditions," Raab said.
"Starting from the 4th of July at the very earliest, those other sectors where they are inherently more difficult because people are mixing together and it's difficult to maintain the social distancing, we wouldn't be able to say ... that we would start them at least until the 4th of July."
Five worst-hit countries by COVID-19
Shanghai Disneyland reopens with controlled capacity
11:35am — Bangkok, Thailand — Six new coronavirus cases reported, no new deaths
Thailand reported six new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing its total to 3,015 cases since the outbreak began in January.
The new cases were all in Thailand's southern provinces, including four on the tourist island of Phuket and one each in Narathiwat and Yala provinces.
Daily new cases in the single digits have prompted Thailand to begin cautiously reopening some businesses that had been closed to slow the spread of the virus.
Fawad Chaudhry says will skip NA session after MNAs, staff test positive
Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said he will not be attending a session of the National Assembly after a few MNAs and staff tested positive for the virus.
“From the first day, I have been saying that the session should be via a video link. Why are we putting the country’s political leadership in unnecessary danger?” Chaudhry tweeted.
11:00am — New Delhi, India — India records highest single-day spike in cases
India reported 4,213 cases in the last 24-hours, the highest number of cases identified in a single day since the pandemic began, health authorities said.
At least 67,152 people inside the country have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of those, 20,916 have recovered while 2,206 have died.
10:20am — Karachi, Sindh — Markets reopen as Sindh govt relaxes virus lockdown
Small markets across Sindh reopened on Monday after the provincial government relaxed a virus lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Small markets and shops have been allowed to reopen and given a list of preventive procedures that should be followed to limit the spread of the virus across the province.
According to a notification, retail shops will conduct business from 6am till 4pm for four days a week. Shops will not be allowed to open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Read more here.
9:00am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Islamabad reports 38 new cases
Confirmed cases in the country jumped to 30,941 after new cases were detected in the federal capital.
According to the national dashboard, 38 new cases were reported in the province, taking the city’s tally to 679.
Islamabad also reported one more death to take the city’s toll to six.
