Show 'self-discipline', stay indoors: Imran advises people as COVID-19 tally rises above 8,500

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged the people of Pakistan to show "self discipline" and refrain from going outside to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed 176 people and infected 8,516 others in the country.

Prime Minister Khan's remarks came days after he cautioned that Pakistan may see an increase in the number of coronavirus cases from mid-May and the healthcare system could come under significant pressure.

"My message for people is to stay home as much as possible during this pandemic. The more people show self-discipline, the easier it will be for us to manage the COVID-19 plus ease the lockdown gradually," he said in a tweet.

According to health officials, Punjab has registered 3,822 COVID-19 cases, while 2,544 infections have been reported in Sindh, 1,235 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 432 in Balochistan, 263 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 171 in Islamabad and 49 in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The Prime Minister's Advisor on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza, said on Monday that 17 more people died in one day, taking the total death toll to 176.

"The data shows that 83 per cent people who died had pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart issues, he said.

He said that out of total deaths, 74 per cent of the fatalities were of men and 82 per cent who died were more than 50 years of age.

Mirza said that the coronavirus crisis will eventually decline but it was important to learn lessons from the pandemic.

"In the future, we should invest in our public health sectors so that we can deal with such outbreaks more efficiently," he said.

Mirza said it was important to ensure that mosques in the country do not become coronavirus hotspots.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan endorsed the government's strategy of social distancing as was agreed in a 20-point agreement with clerics which was reached after a meeting with President Arif Alvi.

Prime Minister Khan met with a group of clerics and urged them to avoid big gatherings in mosques during the month of Ramzan.

Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri later told the media that Khan was hopeful that those attending prayers in mosques would follow official guidelines.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that 227 more COVID-19 cases were reported in the province in the last 24 hours and 115 children below the age of 10 were among them.

What is more worrisome for the Sindh government is that 62 positive cases have been detected in the last 24 hours in Karachi's densely populated Lyari area which comprises mostly of slum dwellings and narrow lanes.

Shah admitted that the high number of positive cases emerging in Lyari was a matter of concern for the government and the situation demanded strong measures from the authorities.

As the number of cases continue to rise, Planning Minister Asad Umar chaired the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) meeting on late Sunday on how the virus can be controlled by creating awareness amon people.

He said the best way to tackle the pandemic was to practise social distancing and follow other policy measures such as not going out of home without an emergency.

The NCOC prepared a 48-day strategy, which has pre-Ramzan, Ramzan, and post-Ramzan components, all of which aim at educating and informing the public about the potential risks, advocating adherence to social distancing practices and other containment measures, preparing the people for observance during the holy month under the special circumstances, and ultimately preventing the spread of the disease, the Dawn reported.

The NCOC's campaign, which has already gone into the execution phase over the past couple of days, is titled "Zindagi Rawan, Zara Fasla Mehrban".

The NCOC had earlier recommended targeted lockdown and easing of restrictions. Prime Minister Khan on Tuesday announced the reopening of 'low-risk industries'. The restrictions on religious congregations was maintained.

The coronavirus outbreak is likely to create a constitutional crisis as the lawmakers have to decide how the National Assembly's budget session would be held. The session is held in May and June to announce annual budget before the end of financial year on June 30.

Earlier, the Parliament House building was closed for three days (Friday to Sunday) as a precautionary measure after the two staff members contracted the virus.