ISLAMABAD: Toll of confirmed from Coronavirus epidemic nation-wide crosses the 10,000 mark and reached 10,072 on Wednesday after new infections were confirmed in the country while the death toll crossed 200 mark and reached to 212 in the morning.
The province-wise break up of the total 10,072 confirmed infections given at Coronavirus Dashboard at 3:00pm, April 22, is as Punjab, 4,331, Sindh 3,373, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1,345, Balochistan 495, Gilgit-Baltistan 283, Islamabad Capital Territory 194 and AJK 51.
The province-wise break up of the total 212 death toll given at Coronavirus Dashboard at 3:00pm, April 22, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 80, Sindh 69, Punjab, 51, Balochistan 6, Gilgit-Baltistan 3, and Islamabad Capital Territory 3.
At least 14 doctors have tested positive for coronavirus, documents revealed on Wednesday. Five paramedics and 11 other medical staff have also tested positive for the virus.
“Eleven doctors from Peshawar and one each from Bannu, Mardan and Swat have tested positive for the virus. One doctor from Peshawar is in a critical state,” the documents stated.
The documents further revealed that four of the infected paramedic staff hailed from Peshawar, while one belonged to Shangla
Balochistan government, along with Bait-ul-Islam Trust, started distributing roti (flat bread) to the poor and needy. According to an official press release, around 29,316 flat breads were distributed among deserving people.
The Economic Coordination Committee will meet today to and chalk out a strategy for the distribution of Rs200 billion relief package for the daily wage labourers, sources told Geo News.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh will chair the meeting of ECC and the ministry for commerce and production will give a briefing on the relief package.
The sources also informed that the ECC will also be presented with a summary for the Rs15 million grant for the healthcare regulatory body.
The Sindh government has informed the Sindh High Court that the 20% reduction in the fees of private schools was done after consulting the Sindh’s Private Schools Association.
The provincial government, in its response submitted to the court in the petition challenging the reduction, stated that the province has 12,000 private schools and dozens of associations.
The PPP-led government informed the court that there has been a 40% reduction in the expenses of the schools due to the lockdown.
The petition filed by the private schools’ association is asking the court to declare the government’s decision as null and void.
The National Command and Operation Centre announced that it has finalised arrangements for the screening, testing and tracking for the return of Pakistanis stranded in Afghanistan through the Chaman border.
The NCOC stated that the Pakistan Railways has sen 30 passenger coaches and two medical coaches to Balochistan. It added that all coaches have medical supplies with them.
NCOC added that at one time 400 patients can be isolated and set up in the makeshift quarantine centre set up in the coaches.
The district administration in Gujranwala registered cases against six factory owners for violating the lockdown SOPs.
The deputy commissioner stated that the six factories have been sealed and the cases have been registered against the owners for violating the SOPs set by the government.
Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Aslam Iqbal has assured that the government will provide financial assistance to the labourers and daily wage earners affected by the lockdown.
The minister, while speaking during the meeting of the task force for financial assistance, stated that the provincial government is compiling the data of unemployed labourers and daily wage earners. He added that the report once compiled will be sent to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Labour and Human Resource Ansar Majeed Khan Niazi, secretary industries and commerce and members of the task force.
Read more: Death toll of COVID-19 reaches to 197, while confirmed infections jump to 9,505
