Pakistan now has more coronavirus cases than France
Death toll climbs to 3,093 as Punjab tops 60,000 infections and 1,200 deaths
June 18, 2020 11:54 AM
Pakistan upstaged France during the past 24 hours (Wednesday) but only for achieving the grim milestone of having more coronavirus cases, as the virus was detected in another 5,358 people, raising the overall number to over 160,000.
With 160,188 coronavirus cases, Pakistan is now 13th most-affected country in the world, pushing back France to 15th spot. During the process, the country also surpassed Mexico which is at 14th place. The number of cases reported in Mexico currently stand at 159,793 and in France at 158,174.
Meanwhile, Pakistan also recorded 118 new deaths on Wednesday after which the death toll climbed to 3,093. The daily death count was 136 on the previous day, making it the deadliest for the country since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
The 24-hour period also saw Punjab surpassing the 1,200 mark as the death toll in the province reached 1,202 after 53 people died of the virus. It is also the first to have more than 60,000 cases as the total climbed to 60,138 with the addition of 1,999 new infections.
The number of people dying in Sindh is now at 916 with a total of 59,983 cases. The figures for the other provinces/administrative units are: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 19,663 cases and 755 deaths, Islamabad 9,637 cases and 94 deaths, Balochistan 8,794 cases and 93 deaths, Gilgit-Baltistan 1,213 cases and 18 deaths, and Azad Kashmir 740 cases and 15 deaths.
On the other hand, 31,500 new tests were conducted during the past 24 hours in different parts of the country, showing the testing rate is increasing slowly but surely. The overall total of tests carried out since the pandemic outbreak has now increased to 982,012.
Currently, there are 97,810 active cases in Pakistan. The remaining have closed with the death of 3,093 patients and another 59,215 fully recovering from the coronavirus infection.