Balochistan extends coronavirus lockdown till May 5

QUETTA - The Balochistan government on Tuesday extended the lockdown till May 5 as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the province.

In a notification issued by the provincial home department, the public has been asked to stay at home in order to prevent the infection. 

Offices, public transport and shopping malls will remain closed in the province, the notification said. The steps are being taken to step the spread of the disease through social distancing. 

The government has also banned all kinds of gatherings including religious in the province. Authorities have sealed over 200 shops and three shopping plazas for violating the lockdown. 

The coronavirus cases in the province have surged to 465 while the disease has claimed six lives so far. 

The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan rose to a total of 9,216, according to government data, after recording more than 796 new cases on Tuesday morning.

COVID-19 fatalities
The death toll related to COVID-19 has reached 192, according to the National Command and Control Centre, while at least 2,066 patients have fully recovered.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported highest number of deaths, a total of 67, while Sindh follows with 61 fatalities. Punjab has so far reported 42 deaths; Balochistan, 5; Gilgit Baltistan, 3; and Islamabad, 3.

The first two fatalities from COVID-19, as the illness is officially known, were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on March 18 (Wednesday).