- Active Covid-19 cases in country cross 60,000 mark
The number of active Covid-19 cases in Pakistan crossed the 60,000 marks on Friday as 4,537 more people tested positive for the deadly virus while 86 patients died during the last 24 hours in the country.
- Karachi to be the focus during Sindh’s ‘partial lockdown’ until August 8
The Sindh government on Friday decided to impose a lockdown in the province from today (Saturday) till August 8 amid rising Covid-19 cases.
- There will be a ban on inter-city travel
- All markets will remain closed. However, pharmacies and groceries (till 6pm) will remain open.
- Restaurants will only be allowed to deliver food. No takeaway allowed.
- Exams cancelled during lockdown period
- Vaccination cards of citizens roaming the streets will be checked
- Vaccination centers to remain open during lockdown
- All govt offices will be closed from next week
- Sindh won’t be allowed to enforce complete lockdown: Fawad
The Supreme Court had ruled that the provinces could not take unilateral decisions in this regard, the minister pointed out while commenting on the Sindh government’s announcement about the imposition of a lockdown in the province.
In a statement, Mr. Chaudhry said that under Article 151 of the Constitution, Pakistan is a single market with the port of Karachi acting as the “jugular vein of its economy”. Any move that could affect the country’s economic lifeline could not be allowed.
The Sindh government had been given a clear message that unilateral decisions could not be allowed in this regard, he said.
- Women MNAs demand public hanging of rapists
Almost all women lawmakers of the National Assembly, both from treasury and opposition benches, unanimously demanded public hanging of all rapists to curb rising cases of harassment and abuse of women and children in Pakistan.
- Alarm bells as cases of Covid’s Epsilon strain emerge in Lahore
The health department confirmed the presence of the new strain saying 23 samples were processed in a reference lab of the Punjab government. Of them, it said, five were confirmed to be positive for the California Epsilon strain reported in Lahore.
Some medical experts said that first reported in California in 2020, the Epsilon variant had been more resistant to the vaccines and declared a new threat for the vaccinated people who may develop infection again. They said the new strain detected in Lahore was also highly infectious and almost equal to the Indian Delta variant which has become the most dominant strain of coronavirus in Punjab.
- Floods leave 20 dead, 300,000 stranded in Bangladesh
Monsoon floods and landslides have cut off more than 300,000 people in villages across southeast Bangladesh and killed at least 20 people, including six Rohingya refugees.
The region along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border where nearly one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are in camps has been battered by torrential rain since Monday.
“The floods have stranded some 306,000 people in Cox’s Bazar district. At least 70 villages have been submerged by floods,” Mamunur Rashid, the district administrator.
“At least 20 people have died in floods and landslides including six Rohingya refugees.”
- Pakistan, other stakeholders in ‘Afghan peace’ to meet in Doha
Special Russian Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, during an online briefing from Moscow, announced that the meeting of the Extended Troika comprising Russia, China, the United States and Pakistan would be held next week.
“We are in constant contact over the phone with my counterpart (US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay) Khalilzad who is now in Washington. Next week, we are planning to meet in Doha with him and with our Chinese and Pakistani counterparts for the next encounter of the extended Troika,” the envoy said.
- US hopes Pakistan will help reduce violence in Afghanistan
The US administration hopes that Pakistan will play a positive role in de-escalating violence in neighboring Afghanistan, with a US State Department official saying “it is not in Pakistan’s interest to see Afghanistan in a civil war”.
- Djokovic’s golden dream ends on day of upsets
World number one Novak Djokovic had his dreams of tennis gold dashed on Friday while Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega felled the reigning world 10,000 meters Olympic champion, on a day of upsets that saw doping allegations surface at the swimming pool.
- Pakistan face WI in second T20 today
After coronavirus (Covid-19) forced the West Indies and Pakistan Twenty20 International series to trim from five to four, the first game which was initially scheduled to be second was a no-result with rain having the final say at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, during midweek.
Both sides now prepare to do battle in Guyana for the final three matches at the Providence Stadium in Providence with the first of them on Saturday. It will be another restart to what is the final dress rehearsal for the West Indies as one unit before they defend their World T20 title in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
While West Indies will be buoyed after a 4-1 success over the Australians, they will know Pakistan will prove an even greater test. This will be the sixth bilateral T20 series between the two teams, Pakistan has dominated the West Indies with wins in four out of the previous five series.
COVID-19 Updates
- With 4,950 new COVID-19 cases, 65 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours
- 66,287 COVID-19 cases are active in the country
- The total death tally of Covid-19 stands at 23,360
- 1,321 people recovered from Coronavirus in the last 24 hours
- The positivity rate of Covid-19 is recorded at 8.4%
- Over 196.6 million are infected globally
- More than 4.1 million have died due to the virus
- Over 170 million recovered from COVID-19
- Islamabad, GB and AJK collectively report 773 new cases
- KP records more than 400 infections for second straight day
- Punjab reports more than 700 new cases for first time in two months
- 1,330 more people recover from coronavirus in Pakistan
- Covid-19 cases surge in Sydney, police cordon off downtown to prevent rally
- Tokyo organisers report 21 new Games-related Covid-19 cases
- 29 countries have high and rising oxygen needs amid surge in cases due to Delta variant: WHO
- China races to contain its worst outbreak in months as two more areas report Covid infections
- Vaccinated people can carry as much virus as others
- UK virus cases rose after recent easing of rules
