Pakistan reported 150 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,007, according to news reports. The eastern province of Punjab and southeastern province of Sindh topped the list with 708 and 676 cases respectively. Pakistan occupied Kashmir reported six cases, while there were 158 cases in Balochistan, 184 in Gilgit Baltistan, 54 in Islamabad, and 253 cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, the country's death toll jumped to 26, while 12 patients are in critical condition. More than 80 percent of the confirmed cases had recently returned from neighboring countries while the remaining cases were due to local transmission of the highly contagious virus, according to reports quoting the country's health officials. So far, 58 patients have recovered and were discharged from the hospital, the officials said. Stepping up efforts to combat coronavirus, Pakistan set up a national coordination committee chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday for a more coordinated response against the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also agreed that the expenditure incurred on COVID-19 would not be treated as part of the budget deficit of Pakistan. Meanwhile, the nationwide lockdown entered its 10th day on Wednesday, forcing millions to stay home. The government has already deployed army troops in all major cities across the country to assist provincial governments and ensure the lockdown. People are allowed to leave their homes to buy groceries and visit hospitals in emergencies. After first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the virus has spread to at least 179 countries and regions, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University. Its data shows the number of confirmed cases worldwide have surpassed 859,000, with the death toll over 42,000 and more than 178,000 recoveries. — Agencies
