QUETTA - The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in a special session here on Thursday lauded the efforts of Balochistan government and civil administration to implement the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for containing the COVID-19 pandemic in the province.

The NCOC special meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, was attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Jam Kamal and Chief Secretary ?Fazeel Asghar as host. Rest of the provincial chief secretaries participated through video link.

Chief Minister Jam Kamal appreciated the NCOC for holding its sessions in the provincial capitals for better coordination and understanding of issues being faced by the provinces.  He said: “The NCOC has played a vital role in inter-provincial coordination, and healthcare capacity and resource building through cannelizing critical medical equipment.”  The NCOC deliberated on the management of cattle markets being established in the wake of forthcoming on Eid-ul-Azha and Eid prayers. 

The participants noted that the decision making based on information and reliable data at the NCOC was a new normal. The practice of data collection, correlation, collation and informed decision making helped in efforts to contain the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 caseload in Pakistan had reached 269,190 with 1,763 new cases reported during last 24 hours, an official of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Coronavirus said on Thursday.

Sharing the data, he said that total 5,709 deaths had been reported from the disease with 32 reported during last 24 hours. He said that 213,175 patients had been recovered.

He added total 1,799,290 tests had been conducted while in last 24 hours 22,408 tests were conducted. He said 115,213 cases were reported from Sindh, 91,129 from Punjab, 32,753 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 14,722 from Islamabad, 1,896 from Gilgit Baltistan, 11,517 from Balochistan and 1,961 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

He said that so far 16,927 active cases were reported from Sindh, 22,227 from Punjab, 5,882 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,537 from Islamabad, 353 from Gilgit Baltistan, 1,796 from Balochistan and 585 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

He said that 2,060 deaths had been reported from Sindh, 2,100 from Punjab, 1,158 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 162 from Islamabad, 45 from Gilgit Baltistan, 136 from Balochistan and 48 deaths were reported from AJK.

He said that 96,226 patients had recovered in Sindh, 66,802 in Punjab, 25,713 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12,023 in Islamabad, 1,498 Gilgit Baltistan, 9,585 in Balochistan and 1,328 in AJK.