Pakistan's coronavirus cases cross 20,000 with 476 deaths: Health Ministry

Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday reported 694 new cases of coronavirus, taking the total confirmed infections to 20,884 with 476 deaths in the country, the health ministry said.

The Ministry of National Health Services said that out of the total patients, Punjab reported 7,646 cases, Sindh 7,882, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 3,288, Balochistan 1,218, Islamabad 415, Gilgit-Baltistan 364 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir reported 71 cases.

"Pakistan's coronavirus cases reached 20,884 after 694 new patients were diagnosed by Monday evening," said the statement issued by the health ministry.


The new cases came as Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday that the nationwide lockdown will be lifted gradually, asserting that Pakistan cannot afford an indefinite closure.

The health ministry said that 14 more patients died on Monday, taking the total toll to 476.

"Another 5,635 recovered so far. The authorities so far had conducted 212,511 tests, including 9,522 in the last 24 hours," the statement said.

Separately, a district and sessions court's judge in Tank area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province was tested positive for the coronavirus, the Peshawar High Court's Protocol Officer said in a statement.

"As per reports received till date no other Judicial Officer or staff of District Judiciary Tank has been found positive for COVID-19," the statement said.

The judge, the first officer of district judiciary to have contracted the virus, is in self-isolation, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Khan telephoned also his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau to discuss the situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic and other matters of mutual interest.

He thanked Canada for its support to include Pakistan in the G20's debt relief initiative.