Coronavirus updates: Latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from Pakistan and around the world
Nationwide death toll goes past 830, confirmed cases cross 38,000; global coronavirus death toll exceeds 300,000
Updated Friday May 15 2020
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 38,741 on Friday after new infections were confirmed in the country.
The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 12:05am, May 16, is as follows:
Total confirmed cases: 38,741
• Sindh: 14,916
• Punjab: 14,201
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 5,678
• Balochistan: 2,457
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 866
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 518
• AJK: 105
Deaths: 834
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 291
• Sindh: 255
• Balochistan: 31
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 4
• Punjab: 245
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 7
• AJK: 1
Officials have recorded more than 4.43 million cases and more than 301,000 deaths since the virus emerged in China in December.
Read on for the latest updates from Pakistan and around the world.
Disclaimer: There may be some discrepancy in the number of confirmed cases reported at the country level due to differences in figures quoted by federal and provincial authorities.
Geo News is constantly gathering fresh information from concerned authorities and striving to keep our readers up to date with the most accurate information available.
Orange: General updates coming in from Pakistan
Red: Reports on new cases in Pakistan
Maroon: Reports on new deaths in Pakistan
Green: Reports on recovered patients in Pakistan
END OF LIVE UPDATES FOR MAY 15
Live updates for May 16 to continue here.
12:08am (May 16) — Lahore, Pakistan — Punjab reports 11 more deaths, 287 new cases
The Punjab disaster management authority has reported 11 more deaths in the province, taking the total number to 245.
A rise in the total number of cases was also reported. With the addition of 287 new cases, the tally now stands at 14,201.
11:55pm — Lahore, Pakistan — Focal person to Punjab chief minister shares visuals of SOPs followed in Chakwal during Youm-e-Ali
10:00pm — Quetta, Pakistan — Balochistan reports one more death, 147 new cases
The Balochistan health department has reported one more death in the province, bringing the grim total to 31.
09:51pm — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh's cases at a glance
The Sindh health department has reported 817 new cases today, taking the total number to 14,916.
Of the total, 13,918 are cases of local transmission.
7:10pm — Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan — Region reports 17 more cases, tally hits 518
The Gilgit-Baltistan health department has reported 17 more cases, taking the tally of infected to 518.
Six people were also reported to have recovered, taking the total recoveries to 345.
6:35pm – Karachi, Pakistan — Minister says cannot allow public transport on roads
Sindh minister Owais Shah has said that while respecting the request of the prime minister, the provincial government cannot allow public transport on roads.
He said the cases are rising on a daily basis and SOPs are not being followed.
6:15pm — London, UK — Coronavirus death toll rises 384 to 33,998: government
The number of people who have died in the United Kingdom after testing positive to COVID-19 rose by 384 to 33,998, Britain’s health ministry said on Friday.
The number of deaths was as of 1600 GMT on Thursday, the government said. A total of 236,711 people had tested positive for the virus as of 0800 GMT on Friday.
5:50pm – Islamabad, Pakistan — PM Imran says situation under control in country
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the situation is under control across the country, warning in the same vein that the number of cases will inevitably rise.
PM Imran said that according to an earlier official projection, the number of cases was 52,695 until May 14.
The number of deaths were estimated to be 1,324 until the mid of May, said the prime minister.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said that due to the effective planning by the government, the rates of daily use items will not rise in Ramadan.
5:15pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — Govt to allow limited domestic flight operations from five airports
The government has decided to let five major airports resume domestic flight operations on a limited scale from May 16, according to Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s Twitter account.
The five airports will be Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta. Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that strict SOPs will be enforced to ensure safety of passengers and crew.
The authority said that no visitors shall be allowed at the airports and the drivers will have to stay inside the vehicles.
5:00pm — London, UK — Britain may ease restrictions at different speeds: PM spokesman
United Kingdom might ease the restrictions imposed to halt the spread of coronavirus at different speeds in particular regions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Friday.
“It could lead to some of the measures being eased at different rates in different parts of the country and at the same time it could lead to some measures being re-imposed in some parts of the country but not in others,” the spokesman said.
“I’m not aware of any plans at the moment to do that in regards to schools,” he added.
04:26pm — Peshawar, Pakistan — KP reports seven more deaths, 255 new cases
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has notified seven more deaths in the province, taking the total number to 291.
A rise in the number of cases by 255 was also reported, bringing the total number of infected to 5,678.
On a positive note, 108 new patients were also reported to have recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,613.
For earlier coverage please click here.