People should learn to live with COVID-19 until a vaccine is developed: Pak PM

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that people should have to learn to live with the coronavirus until a vaccine is developed to treat the disease as the number of infected cases in the country soared up to 45,898 with 985 deaths.

Khan was speaking at the inauguration of the COVID-19 Telehealth Portal in Islamabad to help people get medical services on phone.

We have to live with this virus for some time until a vaccine is developed, he said, adding that even advanced countries with much more resources were unable to cope with the situation.

Khan said asked the doctors, especially female doctors, to register on the portal to provide their services through it.

This year our nation will have to join forces to fight against the virus. We previously launched an initiative for tele education and now are launching this initiative for tele health, he said.

Even when coronavirus ends, we will continue [on] this portal, he said.

The nationwide tally of the coronavirus soared to 45,898 with 1,932 new cases reported during the last 24 four hours.

According to the Ministry of National Health Services, 17,947 cases have been reported in Sindh, 16,685 in Punjab, 6,554 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 2,885 in Balochistan, 1,138 in Islamabad, 556 in Gilgit Baltistan and 133 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

So far, 13,101 patients have recovered from the virus, while 985 have died, including 46 new deaths reported during the last 24 hours.

Authorities have so far conducted 414,254 tests, including 13,962 in the last one day.

Limited rail operations resumed on Wednesday across Pakistan after over two months of suspension during the lockdown.

Railway officials said that the suspension caused a loss of Rs 10 billion, while 10.26 million passengers were affected, making achieving the annual financial target of Rs 58 billion impossible.

Special arrangements were made at railway stations to spray disinfectants on the trains and scanners were installed for the passengers.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a meeting with European Union Ambassador in Pakistan Androulla Kaminara urged for global efforts to fight the coronavirus.

The minister welcomed the European Union's support to Pakistan to deal with the situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Pakistan government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have begun the first disbursements of emergency cash assistance to the most vulnerable refugee families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

This is a significant event and important milestone for the emergency cash programme that will continue over the coming months, UNHCR Representative Noriko Yoshida said.

Last week, UNHCR and the Pakistan Post signed an innovative agreement for the disbursement of the emergency cash assistance. The initiative follows the Pakistan government's Ehsaas emergency cash programme, where vulnerable families receive Rs 12,000 to cover a four-month period.

Some 36,000 families will be the initial beneficiaries for this emergency cash assistance from UNHCR through the Pakistan Post. It will help the most vulnerable refugee families to meet their urgent needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Postmaster General Laeeq Zaman, said that Pakistan Post will be there every step of the way in solidarity with Afghan refugees, as this emergency cash assistance programme is rolled out across Pakistan.