The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) announced on Saturday that the current restrictions imposed by the government to curb the spread of coronavirus will be extended till April 13.

Minister for Planning and Development and NCOC Chief Asad Umar presided over a meeting today in which Pakistan's coronavirus vaccine inoculation campaign during Ramazan was discussed. According to the details shared by Dawn, it was decided in the meeting that a detailed discussion and decision on non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during Ramazan will take place on Monday.

The government has banned all kinds of indoor and outdoor gatherings including all social, cultural, political, sports gatherings, weddings and other events as the country struggles with the third wave of COVID-19.

As a precautionary measure, all types of indoor dining have been banned while outdoor dining has been permitted till 10 pm.

The NCOC has also decided to ban inter-provincial road transport on weekends from today till April 25. The ban will only be applicable to private and public transport on the weekend. Vehicles carrying goods, freight, medical, and other emergency services will be exempted. Pakistan Railway will continue to operate 7 days a week with 70% occupancy.

The NCOC will review the ban on April 20 and decide further.

Current situation of COVID-19 in Pakistan:

Pakistan on Saturday has reported 5,139 new cases and 100 COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours as the third wave continues.

According to statistics shared by the NCOC, 49,069 coronavirus tests were taken, 5,139 came out positive, and 100 deaths were reported countrywide in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 4,204 critical patients of COVID-19 admitted at different hospitals in the country, the highest number of critical patients reported since the pandemic began.

With these latest statistics, the country's total number of confirmed cases stands at 715,968. Pakistan has so far recorded 15,329 coronavirus-related deaths, and a total of 627,561 patients have recovered from the novel disease.