With over 45,000 COVID-19 cases, Pakistan 18th most affected country in the world

Pakistan makes it to number 18 in a list of countries most affected by COVID-19 out of a total of 188

Web Desk

May 19, 2020

Shopkeepers stand outside a shopping bazar, after police sealed it for not following the government's precautionary measures following the spread of coronavirus disease after Pakistan started easing the lockdown, in Karachi. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan is now the 18th most-affected country from the deadly coronavirus across the world as the number of COVID-19 cases surged past 45,000 on Tuesday.

According to data from the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which has maintained a dashboard of COVID-19 cases worldwide, Pakistan is listed at 19 in terms of the number of people infected, out of a total of 188 countries.

To date, the country has recorded 45,002 COVID-19 cases and 969 deaths.

As per the dashboard, the United States is the most affected country in the world, with 1,508,598 cases, followed by Russia, Brazil and the United Kingdom. India ranks at the 10th position, as it crosses over 100,000 cases this week.

In terms of fatality, Pakistan has the 25th most number of deaths related to coronavirus in the world. While the US again has the highest mortality rate globally.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a pandemic. However, in a recent order, the Supreme Court of Pakistan stated that Pakistan is not that “seriously affected” by the virus.

“There are other serious ailments prevailing in the country, from which people are dying daily and those ailments are not being catered,” the order noted, “The coronavirus which apparently is not a pandemic in Pakistan, is swallowing so huge money.”