Pakistan reports highest number of coronavirus deaths in one day

In this file photo, medical staff members wearing protective gear work on a desk at a drive-through screening and testing facility point during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Karachi on April 4, 2020. (AFP)

• Registers 40 fatalities in 24 hours, bringing the total toll count to 526
• Breaks another record by conducting more than 10,000 tests in a single day

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan saw its highest increase in coronavirus fatalities on Wednesday, with 40 people losing their battle to the contagion in the past 24 hours, taking the country's death toll to 526 since the outbreak began in late February.
According to details released on the government's COVID-19 portal, 1,049 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 22,550.
The portal also showed that more than 10,000 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of tests in Pakistan to 232,582.
According to official data shared by the government, Punjab province had the highest number of infections with 8,420 cases, followed by Sindh at 8,189, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at 3,499, Balochistan at 1,495, Islamabad at 485, Gilgit-Baltistan at 386, and Azad Kashmir at 76.
Despite the uptick in infections and deaths reported, plans are in place to ease the restrictions on movement with Prime Minister Imran Khan saying earlier this week that the nationwide lockdown would be lifted gradually.
He added, however, that there was a need to strictly follow social distancing and other anti-measures to overcome the outbreak.
Partial lockdowns were imposed on March 23 and have been extended on a fortnightly basis ever since.
With the current extension set to expire on May 9, the government was set to review it on Wednesday, and decide on a future course of action.