Pakistan has reported 179,445 known COVID-19 infections and 3,555 fatalities so far, while a total of 67,892 people have recovered from the deadly virus. Sindh has reported the highest number of cases with 69,628. The number of cases in Punjab has also increased to 65,739. The two provinces have collectively reported around 75 percent of the country’s COVID-19 caseload. Balochistan has reported over 9,000 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 21,997 COVID-19 cases and Islamabad’s virus toll climbed to 10,662. Following the increase in cases and fatalities, PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza advised residents to stay away from crowded areas, wear masks whenever going out and practise social distancing. In a media briefing on Sunday, he instructed people to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds and take special care of the elderly. Additionally, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that the government will increase its supply of HDU beds to hospitals across the country. “With the help of the smart lockdown, we will be able to reduce the number of coronavirus cases in the country,” he said, adding that people should strictly follow the government’s SOPs. The government has imposed a lockdown in 20 major cities across the country. It was, however, noted that some residents were violating it and were roaming around openly in the streets. Meanwhile, Sindh on Sunday reported 2,275 fresh coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours after 13,890 tests conducted in the province. Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a media briefing said that the total number of infections across the province has reached to 69,628 as the province conducted total 378,849 tests. Shah said that 41 more patients of coronavirus died in last 24 hours across the province increasing death toll from COVID-19 to 1,089. The chief minister said that 32,261 coronavirus patients undergoing treatment in Sindh including 30,705 have been quarantined at homes and 48 at isolation centres. Moreover, 1508 patients have been admitted at different hospitals in the province and 718 of them were in critical condition and 117 are on ventilators. He maintained that 2,166 patients were recovered today and total number of people recovered from the disease in Sindh has risen to 36,278. Murad Ali Shah said that from total 2,275 new coronavirus cases detected in the province in past 24 hours 1280 were reported in Karachi, as the city has continued to report majority of the cases in Sindh. In District East of Karachi 395 cases, 363 in District South, 172 cases in District Central, 140 in Korangi district, 99 in Malir and 111 cases reported in District West of the city. In other parts of Sindh, 74 cases reported in Ghotki, 72 in Sukkur, 64 in Khairpur and 63 cases in Hyderabad district, Shah said. Chief Minister Shah appealed the people to comply the lockdown in selected areas of the province by following the SOPs. He advised the people to avoid unnecessary outgoing and maintain social distancing. On the other hand, Punjab recorded 1,523 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of infections across the province to 65,739, according to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department. A spokesperson for the department said, 60 more people died from coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 1,407 in the province. The number of people recovering from the disease has risen to 18,692, said the spokesperson. A total of 416,836 tests have been conducted in the province. Over in the federal capital, Executive Director at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Dr Ansar Maqsood has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), sources said on Sunday. They said the PIMS head has isolated himself at home after being diagnosed with the infection that is fast spreading among healthcare professionals at the forefront of the country’s fight against the contagion. An admin officer of the PIMS has also been infected by the coronavirus. The sources said 200 staffers of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences have been diagnosed as positive for the infection while three have succumbed to the deadly disease thus far. COVID-19 continued to take its toll on health workers in the country as 68 more of them tested positive for the virus in past 24 hours. According to a report prepared by the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad and conveyed to the Ministry of National Health Services showed that 40 doctors, six nurses and 22 paramedics have been infected in past 24 hours. The overall health workers affected by the virus have reached to 4,855, the report said. Highlighting the number of health professionals affected by the virus infection, it reported that 2950 doctors have so far tested positive for COVID-19, followed by 583 nurses and 1322 other health workers. “Currently, 2478 health workers are quarantined at their homes, while 307 are receiving treatment at hospitals across the country and of them 302 are said to be in a stable condition,” the report showed. The report detailed that 2022 coronavirus-positive healthcare workers have recovered. On the other hand, 48 healthcare workers have so far died of the infection. Giving a province-wise division of fatalities, it showed that Sindh remains worst affected as 18 medics have so far lost their lives in the province. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab reported deaths of 10 and eight health workers respectively from COVID-19, followed by five deaths in Balochistan. Four health workers have succumbed to the infection in Islamabad and three in Gilgit-Baltistan region, the report showed.