ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/PESHAWAR/LAHORE/MUZAFFARABAD: Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has decided to suspend hydroxychloroquine trial as nationwide Covid-19 tally jumps to 58,477.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected more than 5.5 million people in 202 countries and territories of the world so far – and over 345,000 of them have died and counting.
Pakistan, despite its close proximity with China, remained coronavirus-free until February 26 when a young man from Karachi tested positive after returning from Iran – one of the worst-hit countries. After a brief hiatus following the first case, Covid-19 cases spiked as more pilgrims returning from Iran tested positive for the virus.
Nearly one and a half months after imposing the lockdown across the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced to ease the lockdown in phases.
The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients stands at 58,477 with 20,654 cases in Punjab, 23,507 in Sindh, 8,080 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 3,468 in Balochistan, 638 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 1,728 in Islamabad and 223 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The virus has claimed at least 1,211 lives while about 18,314 coronavirus patients have recovered.
