63 deaths in 24 hours, Pakistan coronavirus tally 64,500

High court judge tests positive; two employees of state radio lose battle against virus

Islamabad: Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel has gone into 14-day self-isolation after he was diagnosed with novel coronavirus.

The judge underwent coronavirus test a day earlier on Thursday and after the test report came positive on Friday, he went into self-quarantine at his home.

According to the BHC, the chief justice was working from home disposing important judicial matters and his condition was normal.

Justice Mandokhel was presiding over a number of cases including those related with coronavirus spread in the province.

Pakistan on Friday with 63 new deaths reported 1,323 fatalities while the number of its confirmed cases of coronavirus jumped to 64,500, registering an increase of 2,500 patients in a day.

Doctor dies in Lahore

A doctor died at a private hospital in Lahore on Friday after testing positive for Covid-19, the Punjab health department has confirmed.

According to the health department, Dr Sana Fatima was admitted to a private hospital on May 20 after contracting the respiratory illness.

2 state radio employees lose battle against coronavirus

The coronavirus has also claimed the lives of two employees of Pakistan’s Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) or Radio Pakistan.

The state radio has confirmed that the two senior employees who tested positive a few days earlier have lost their battle against the virus.

“It is announced with profound grief and sorrow that two employees of Radio Pakistan succumbed to coronavirus today,” said a statement on Radio Pakistan’s website on Thursday.

The employees were identified as Urdu newscaster Huma Zafar and Senior Broadcast Engineer Muhammad Ashfaq.

Huma Zafar held a doctroate degree in Psychology and was associated with Pakistan Broadcasting Service for two decades. Engineer Muhammad Ashfaq was also associated with Radio Pakistan for more than 20 years.

Radio Pakistan Director General Ambreen Jan held an emergency condolence meeting with the staff and directors of the staff radio expressing sympathies with the families of the deceased.

She also directed strict compliance with the standard operating procedures and the protocol of social distancing.

29 deaths in Punjab, 31 in Sindh

The Punjab health department has reported 29 deaths, the highest single-day death toll so far and according to the health officials majority of the cases were reported in Lahore. Punjab so far, has reported 22,964 patients of coronavirus with an increase of 927 patients in last 24 hours.

Sindh also reported its highest one-day tally in the province - 31. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that 804 new coronavirus cases were reported, taking the total to 26,113.