KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah said Wednesday the lockdown imposed to stem coronavirus should be strengthened and that he was concerned over increasing infections in Karachi.
CM Shah, in a video message, said: "Sindh has recorded the highest daily increase in the number of confirmed cases today. The total number of cases in the country has crossed 10,000 already. Most of the cases in Sindh are from Karachi. This is very concerning."
"320 new cases emerged in Sindh today and take the total number of cases in the province to 3,373. Local transmission of virus cases is increasing and all of us need to keep our eyes open to this ominous development," CM Shah said addressing the citizens.
"Three more patients have also died of the virus, bringing the total number of virus deaths in the province to 69," he said, before presenting the breakdown of the virus cases in localities in Sindh and across the province.
'Concerned over virus cases in Larkana'
CM Shah had on Tuesday also expressed concerns over the increase in numbers of local transmission of coronavirus cases in district Larkana. While attending a meeting on the coronavirus situation in Larkana, chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari through video link, the Sindh chief minister said the virus death toll ratio had also increased.
He directed the divisional and deputy commissioners Larkana to take concrete measures to control the number of positive cases. Murad Ali Shah said, in the next week, COVID-19 testing lab would be set up to carry out tests in Sindh, saying his government had not stopped the people from performing prayers at mosques.
CM Shah said, however, that people had been requested to follow the virus-related SOPs. He said the provincial government did not receive any financial assistance from any institution nor it demanded the federal government to help meet the challenges of COVID-19 outbreak.
