Rapidly and exponentially increasing Coronavirus in Pakistan has surpassed China after reporting almost 5000 cases in last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the country made 83,292 mark against China’s 83,021 cases. So far, there are total 1,729 deaths in the country. As many as 76 new death occurred due to the deadly virus. Almost 30,000 people have recovered from the infectious disease.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning, Dr. Moeed Yusuf has said that passengers entering Pakistan are no longer required to be put under mandatory 48 hours quarantine. The two weeks quarantine period was reduced to 48 hours to facilitate more citizens. The passengers will now be tested on their arrival and sent home to self isolate.
Qatar Airways has reportedly suspended its flight operations temporarily in Pakistan, leaving many travelers clueless. The flight operations were to resume on June 1, after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had granted special permission to the Doha-based airline for landing in Pakistan. Reasons for suspension however, remain unknown. Travelers complain that the airline’s counters on airport are deserted and call center is non responsive.
Rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in Pakistan means the country is headed towards the third phase, known as the ‘Lag Phase,’ claimed Pakistan Infection Control Society president Prof Rafiq Khanani. Lag Phase is characterized by an exponential increase in number of cases. With the public exhibiting constant carelessness towards SOPs and a weak healthcare system, Pakistan would continue to witness severity in the pandemic until September.
Two officials of the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi were expelled by India, after being accused of espionage by Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Abid Hussain Abid, 42, an assistant in the Pakistani mission, and Mohammad Tahir Khan, 44, a clerk, were accused of obtaining documents about the Indian security establishment from a local person. Pakistan as was quick to reject the claims as “false and unsubstantiated”.
Pakistan is looking to remove the ban on the export of COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) this week. This will allow local manufacturers to export COVID-19 related material overseas. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to announce this. It was also announced that Pakistan has received a large number of orders for face masks from different parts of the world including the US, Canada, and Europe.
Pakistan along with Russia and Mexico accounted for almost half of global Facebook content removal requests. A total of 15,826 content restrictions were made by Facebook globally during July-December 2019. Facebook restricted 2,300 items within Pakistan (the second highest after Russia with 2,900 pieces removed) during the second half of 2019. In the first half, Pakistan had reported the highest volume of content (31 per cent) to Facebook.
After being stuck in New York, Meera has made her way home to Pakistan. The actor shared the news of her return on her Instagram with a video from the airport. The actor will now be completing 15 days in quarantine before heading to her own home to continue self-isolation. Meera expressed joy on her return and gave a special shout-out the Pakistani embassy and Pakistani consulate, both in Washington DC and NYC.
YouTube, the world’s biggest online video-sharing platform, will give the Pakistan government $5 million to combat the spreading coronavirus. .In a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki mentioned about the grant to help control the spread of the virus in Pakistan. She said that it is also to compensate people affected due to the pandemic.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing has said that Beijing is confident that Pakistan will soon overcome the COVID-19 challenge. Ambassador Jing said Pakistan had a lower mortality rate of the virus. About 60% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30. Patients infected with the novel coronavirus are mainly young people, with mild symptoms so it is easier to treat them.