PSX’s HBL branch closed owing to coronavirus affected staff

Pakistan reports record 3,938 new COVID-19 cases over 24 hours, total cases stood at 77,837

KARACHI: The HBL branch, located in the premises of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), is closed for last three working days as its staff members affected with coronavirus, said sources in PSX here on Tuesday.

Sources further claimed that few brokers of PSX and their staff members have also been tested COVID-19 positive on last Friday and they were sent on leave for the isolations at their home.

“Now the situation is under control at PSX,” said an official of the Brokers’ Association.  

With no signs of coronavirus pandemic going away anytime soon, Pakistan on Tuesday reported a record number of 3,938 new coronavirus cases with 78 deaths over the last 24 hours.

The latest surge in cases takes the nation-wide tally of reported cases to 76,398 while the death toll has crossed the 1,600 mark.

According to statistics provided by NCOC, Pakistan has broken its previous record number of new COVID-19 cases reported over 24 hours, 3,039, on May 31. Total numbers of coronavirus affected cases in Pakistan are 77,837 till today.

Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan reported its most number of deaths during 24 hours with 88 new fatalities, however, given the swelling number of coronavirus cases, doctors and health experts have warned that the number of cases will continue to rise unless a strict lockdown is not imposed.

Sindh and Islamabad also recorded the highest number of cases reported over 24 hours with 1,402 and 304, respectively, on June 1. However, Punjab reported the most number of deaths and new cases reported over 24 hours with 1,610 cases and 43 new fatalities due to the COVID-19.

In a live televised address, Prime Minister Imran Khan had apprised the nation on the decisions made regarding the lockdown in Pakistan to contain the novel coronavirus during the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting held on Monday.

“Since day one when we got to know that the coronavirus had started spreading in Pakistan, we imposed a lockdown following a national security committee meeting,” he had said.

“We observed the conditions in the Chinese city of Wuhan and in Europe when the virus started spreading and we were seeing how the world was responding. But at that time, when we had discussions and meetings, I was very clear on the path Pakistan had to take.

“Pakistan’s situation is different than that in China or Europe,” he had said, noting that he had earlier informed the nation that 25% of the country’s population was below the poverty line, which “means that nearly 50 million people in our country do not eat two full meals a day”.

PM Imran had said doctors, elite, and the poor all had diverse opinions but it was the downtrodden ones of the society who did not have a voice.

“But in hindsight, I should not have stopped businesses and construction because we had to balance it. Coronavirus is not going away until a vaccine is not formulated. We have to live with it,” he had noted.

PM Imran had also mentioned that the government had prepared a ‘negative list’ of sectors that would remain shut down but “we have opened everything else”. The list, he added, “will be shared later in the day as a debate is being held over the resumption of tourism”.

About The Author