Pakistan's Covid-19 cases to reach 12 lakh by July end

Pakistan's Covid-19 cases could reach up to 12 lakh by the end of July, a top minister said on Sunday, as the country registered a record 6,825 infections in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 139,230.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar, who is in-charge of the national response to the coronavirus pandemic, told a press conference that the current tally could double by the end of this month to reach 3,00,000 cases.

"We're in mid-June and our cases have reached approximately 150,000. It saddens me to say that based on our current trajectory, experts have projected that our cases could double by the end of June," he said.

Umar said that "with the current trajectory, the novel coronavirus could reach 10 lakh to 12 lakh by the end of July."

Noting that it was just a projection which can be avoided if the government and the people work together to stop it, he urged people to get serious about the disease and wear masks.

"Research has indicated that wearing masks is a verified way of curbing the spread of Covid-19, by up to 50 per cent," he said.

He said that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which is headed by him, had made face masks mandatory at public places.

He also advised people to strictly follow the social distancing rules.

 

Dhaka/Mukul