Balochistan has not yet decided to impose micro-smart lockdown: spokesperson

QUETTA: Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said on Sunday that the decision for imposing micro smart lockdown has not yet taken by the authorities, ARY News reported.

Liaquat Shahwani said that National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) appealed nationals to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the second wave of the novel coronavirus.

He said that Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan had earlier expressed fear of another wave of COVID-19. The imposition of lockdown had affected citizens due to an increase in financial burden amid an economic crisis.

The spokesperson admitted that a rise in the number of infections is witnessed in the province in September up to three per cent, however, it was not decided yet to impose micro-smart lockdown.

Read: NCOC makes mandatory to wear face masks in crowded places

Pakistan reported 17 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus on Sunday, taking the nationwide tally of fatalities to 6,823.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 977 fresh infections emerged during this period, lifting the national tally of cases to 333,970. Around 27,655 samples were tested during last 24 hours across the country.

There are a total of 12,592 active cases of the coronavirus as 314,555 patients have so far recuperated from the disease.

Thus far, Sindh has reported 145,851 cases, followed by Punjab reporting 104,271 cases while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 39,564, Balochistan 15,920, Islamabad 19,970, Gilgit Baltistan 4,261 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 4,133.

648 of the patients under treatment in hospitals across the country are said to be in critical condition.