Pakistan’s Defence Minister Pervez Khattak contracts COVID-19

ISLAMABAD – Defence Minister Pervez Khattak has contracted COVID-19, announced Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Monday.

The governor has also extended wishes for speedy recovery to the minister on Twitter. 

Perwaiz Khatak is diagnosed with Covid positive. Get well soon PK

— Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) March 29, 2021

Minutes after, President Arif Alvi said that he had tested positive for the virus. 

"I have tested positive for Covid-19. May Allah have mercy on all Covid affectees. Had 1st dose of vaccine، but antibodies start developing after 2nd dose that was due in a week. Please continue to be careful," he tweeted.

وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ
اور جب میں بیمار ہوتا ہوں تو وہی شفا دیتا ہے

میرا کورونا ٹیسٹ مثبت آیا ہے۔ اللّٰہ کورونا سے متاثر لوگوں پررحم فرمائے۔ میں نے کورونا ویکسین کی پہلی ڈوز لگوائی لیکن اینٹی باڈیز دوسری خوراک کے بعد بننا شروع ہوتی ہیں۔ براۓ مہربانی احتیاط جاری رکھیں۔

— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) March 29, 2021

Pakistan on Monday recorded at least 4,525 new Covid-19 cases while 41 persons have lost their lives from the novel virus.

According to the latest figures from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the death toll has surged to 14,256 while the number of confirmed cases stands at 659,116

In the past 24 hours, as many as 2,268 patients have recovered from the deadly virus while the total recoveries stand at 598,197. The total count of active cases is 46,663 and the positivity rate stands at around 10 percent.

At least 264,889 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 215,227 in Punjab 85,531 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 56,450 in Islamabad, 19,525 in Balochistan, 12,484 in Azad Kashmir, and 5,010 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 6,246 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab 4,491 in Sindh, 2,301 in KP, 561 in Islamabad, 348 in Azad Kashmir, 206 in Balochistan, and 103 in Gilgit Baltistan.

A total of 40,369 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours while 10,107,09 samples have been tested so far.