Like in China and Italy, Pakistan army would be required to enforce lock-down once the infected cases cross 1,000 that can happen over the next 10 to 14 days given the current growth: KASB Securities @AAHSoomro
Pakistan’s first death from coronavirus has now been confirmed sadly. A 50 year old male from Mardan who recently returned from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah
Pakistan’s coronavirus cases more than doubled in two days. At least 60% of the cases from Iran. The jump makes it South Asia’s most affected. Rest of the region has 166 cases with about 90% in India bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Two patients have died from coronavirus in Pakistan now
- 36 year old from Hangu
-50 year old male from Mardan who recently returned from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah
Karachi’s coronavirus cases have doubled to 56 from Monday. More shockingly, 22 of these are local transmissions, tweets @omar_quraishi. Stay indoors, stop the spread or people will die!
Govt statements in my story
Pakistan’s airports lack capacity to quarantine: health minister
For God’s sake don’t go to the hospital if you have a cough or flu (mild symptoms): Prime Minister Imran Khan
46 of Karachi’s 65 coronavirus cases are local transmissions via @omar_quraishi
Karachi’s top hospital has reached maximum capacity, it can’t screen anymore coronavirus patients. Karachi has 101 cases with majority being secondary transmissions
Pakistan’s government to announce an stimulus package on Tuesday given possible job losses with the economic slowdown
China will lift Wuhan lockdown at coronavirus epicenter on April 8. The comes after Hubei reported that new infections dropped to zero on March 19, a dramatic plunge from the height of an epidemic that’s infected more than 80,000 Chinese bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Great news: Pakistan’s largest defence industrial complex Pakistan Ordnance Factories that makes guns and grenades has attained capability to make 25,000 face masks and 10,000 liters of hand sanitizers a day that’s in short supply #CoronavirusLockdown#COVID2019
This didn’t get proper attention. Pakistan’s most affected province hints at local transmission numbers being understated by Imran Khan’s federal govt
Pakistan: 17%
Karachi: 64% dawn.com/news/1543804#coronavirusinpakistan
3M idle machinery installed for precisely this purpose would be activated, and many of the plant’s 650 employees would immediately start working overtime bloomberg.com/news/features/…
JUST IN: Punjab province becomes the epicenter of coronavirus in Pakistan surpassing Sindh count
Karachi's top mall Dolmen has waived rent for all shops next month as the lockdown from coronavirus continues
Karachi's top hospital is not going to re-open its COVID-19 screening and testing facility anymore
Pakistan’s coronavirus cases expected rising to 50,000 before month-end from 2,700: govt geo.tv/latest/280938
The best way for countries to end restrictions is to attack the virus...find, test, isolate and treat every case, and trace every contact. If countries rush to lift restrictions too quickly, the virus could resurge and the economic impact could be even more severe: WHO DG
When can restrictions loosen?
China closed Wuhan for two months. England says ideally up to six. One professor recommends restrictions until daily cases drop consistently over at least two weeks bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Pakistan’s Sindh province coronavirus cases rise by 51 to 881. About 60% cases are local transmission via @omar_quraishi
Possibly one of the biggest spike since the pandemic started. Total infections 1.2 million globally now
Global growth will contract by 2.5% this year — an even deeper contraction than during the global financial crisis. EIU expected real GDP growth to be 2.3% before the virus outbreak
Pakistan’s economic impact of the outbreak is greater than the disease itself: minister Hammad Azhar
Pakistan sadly just had its biggest death count for a day, rising by 15 to 86. Mortality rate now at 1.7% from 1.1% two weeks ago, still much lower than global average. Most from Sindh and K-P province
High risk areas for the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan
- Karachi East
- Faisalabad
- Lahore
World Bank mentions spots using migration data, they correctly predicted the outbreak in Karachi's east
Countries should lift restrictions in low-risk areas first: WHO
Some densely populated cities are avoiding big outbreaks: WHO
Cities can control outbreaks by proper testing strategies: WHO
Pakistan extends nationwide lockdown for 2 more weeks, taking it to more than a month. The coronavirus is spreading less than government estimates, says PM Khan. Some construction, export and other industries allowed to reopen (as reported last week)
The IMF predicted the “Great Lockdown” recession would be the steepest in almost a century and recovery would be worse than anticipated if the coronavirus lingers or returns google.com.pk/amp/s/www.bloo…
IMF now expects Pakistan’s economic growth to be negative this year from the virus slump. World Bank mentioned the same a few days ago
IMF projection will dwarf the 0.1% contraction of 2009 amid the financial crisis
Karachi's sharefaisal at noon today, is the coronavirus lockdown over? What's going on?
Health expenditure in South Asia
Sri Lanka 3.8%
India 3.5%
Pakistan 2.9%
Bangladesh 2.3%
(% of GDP) by WHO
In Pakistan, the private sector is the largest spender on healthcare with 60% of total while government share is 38%: WHO
It happened in Malaysia, India and now Pakistan. Over 27% of Pakistan’s total cases trace back to a religious event attended by 70,000. Mass gatherings across Asia spark virus clusters bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
About 75% of Pakistan cases have been from 2 lapses 1) Thousands of people who returned from Iran through border and airports were not screened: Zafar Mirza 2) Govt announced lockdown 3 days after religious gathering where 70,000 ate and prayed together
The share from a single event has now increased to more than 29% from 27% of Pakistan’s total cases since the story was published a day ago! This will only rise if you anyone can get hold of numbers for GB and Islamabad that have not been incorporated bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Saudi artist draws on Grand Mosque’s closure for painting inspiration, meanwhile Pakistan opens mosques arabnews.pk/node/1660191/l…
Netflix posts explosive growth during the global coronavirus pandemic. It added a record 15.8 million paid subscribers, almost double forecast by Wall Street analysts google.com.pk/amp/s/www.bloo…
Pakistan’s Khan says its a voluntary lockdown now after it opens mosque. “A free state can’t stop people from going to the mosque”
Post-Lockdown Wuhan: Arriving employees at Lenovo’s tablet and phone factory report to a supervisor for the first of at least four temperature checks. Cafeteria tables are partitioned off covered in reminders to avoid conversations by @MattCampbellbloomberg.com/news/features/…
Nestle reported its fastest sales growth in almost five years as consumers loaded up on frozen food bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
5-10 million people have lost jobs in Pakistan during the lockdown: govt
92 health professionals have tested positive for COVID-19 across Pakistan in the past two days, increasing total to 345 thenews.com.pk/print/649880-9…
Pakistan’s Sindh Governor Imran Ismail test positive for Covid. Here’s a photo of him with businessmen a week ago. Pls practice social distancing. Hope he and everyone else globally recover soon.
Pakistan stocks gain most since 2009 in April, just like most markets in Asia
Top performers in April at Pakistan's benchmark index
Pioneer Cement 114%
IGI Holdings 75%
Kohat Cement 68%
Cherat Cement 66%
Pakistan's lockdown is seeing a divergence with Sindh more strict than the rest. Pakistan's largest cement maker sales says it all
In Sindh, sales are 33%-50% pre-lockdown
In North, its 75% of pre-lockdown situation
Karachi sees biggest single-day jump in coronavirus infections, taking total near 5,000 with 77% isolating at home. Almost 20% of tests in Sindh turned out positive for Covid-19 dawn.com/news/1553730/k…
More than 25% of Pakistan’s total about 17,500 coronavirus cases from Karachi
Pakistan's exports dropped by almost half during the first full month of the virus lockdown in April
Pakistan's cases are accelerating
Rapid kits produce contradictory results and little peace of mind when it comes to immunity from the virus bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Iran’s coronavirus cases jump 50% three weeks after country reopens. On April 14, it seemed the country was moving in a positive direction with the lowest number of new cases reported in over a month
Crowded market, traffic jams and queues outside retails stores seen on the first day after lockdown eases in Karachi. Pakistan govt said people are responsible for distancing dawn.com/news/1556371
Gilead Sciences gives licensing of its potential Covid-19 treatment, remdesivir, to five generic drug manufacturers including Ferozsons Laboratories in Pakistan news.bloomberglaw.com/pharma-and-lif…
Social distancing and SOPs are not being followed at markets, accepts Pakistan’s state health minister
Moody's places Pakistan under review for downgrade as it applies for G20 debt relief. Consistent with Moody's approach globally, they will assess whether Pakistan's participation would entail default on private sector debt or not
Hysab Kytab an app that let’s you manage and track your expenses has come out with some interesting consumer spending data based on 360,000 users. Donations and grocery spending has increased the most in Pakistan since covid lockdown 1/5
Spending on grocery has increased 68% since the coronavirus hit Pakistan. It is expected to declined since most have stocked up. Eating out has declined 90% 2/5
Ride hailing companies is one of the hardest hit industries 3/5
Spending on mobile top up has increased 4/5
Netflix business is up in Pakistan since the coronavirus lockdown via founder @VeqarIslam 5/5
Gilead drug remdesivir’s preliminary data show the medicine sped recovery in the most serious cases of Covid-19 by about four days. A smaller trial in China didn’t find a benefit bloomberg.com/features/2020-…
In India, public transport, malls, cinemas, schools, gymnasium and tourist spots will remain closed until May 31 bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Karachi’s top mall has decided to open from tomorrow after court ordered all markets to open. At least two offices in the above building including Engro had positive cases.
"Our disease is different. We have people who are exhibiting mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. That might show that we have some sort of innate immunity that is protecting us from going into severe or moderate disease” Getz Pharma on Pakistan aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/c…
After almost two months, shopping malls in Pakistan have been allowed to open after a judgment by the Supreme Court. Pakistan government had partially opened flights and neighborhood shops in the past week but decided against shopping malls bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
More from Pakistan's top court order:
``We find no reason why so much money is being spent on this Coronavirus. There are other serious ailments, from which people are dying daily. Coronavirus, which apparently is not a pandemic in Pakistan, is swallowing so huge money.
Sindh government accepts opening of malls but ordered to keep food courts, play areas and salons closed in them
One of Pakistan's lawmakers is among 985 whose life has been taken from coronavirus now. Pakistan court allows people to shop for clothes while President asks for Eid prayers to be done at home. We need distancing more than ever, please people! dawn.com/news/1558489
Pakistan’s capital Islamabad sees its biggest virus numbers till date via @dcislamabad
Pakistan has 157 patients on ventilators from coronavirus, the highest since the pandemic. Govt claims its about 20% of total ventilators
“We will be lucky if things get back to normal in 2021,” @MusadaqZ, head of one of the largest textile companies in Pakistan said at a recent webinar
Pakistan’s coronavirus pandemic would be at its peak on July 15, says government
Pakistan’s covid command center has recommended to keep schools closed till August since the pandemic would peak in June
About 1,500 people have died from the virus in Pakistan now. 1,500!
Largest two provinces breaking daily record highs via @norbalm
@FatimaIsrar’s tribute to her healthcare colleagues
Exclusive: Mylan’s Partner AGP to Sell Covid-19 Drug Remdesivir Within One to Two Months in Pakistan bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
AGP has also sold about 100,000 anti-body test kits since last month in Pakistan to hospitals and private companies looking to test staff returning to work. The company has another 100,000 kits and is considering importing more google.com.pk/amp/s/www.bloo…
Pakistan’s provincial minister Ghulam Murtaza Baloch (right) has passed away from covid. He was taken to a hospital in Karachi more than a week ago. He is one of 1,621 people who have died from the virus in Pakistan.
Searle is the first company to launch generic COVID-19 drug Remdesvir in Pakistan. The price making rounds is incorrect though
The attack will be the most severe in three decades. Its homegrown second generation locusts, not those that arrived from Iran last year. They attack at night, sleep in morning, move about 90 miles an hour and eat any produce in their sight bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
“Lockdowns are being eased in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh without any sign that infections are being brought under control. For a start, there is no telling how long containing the virus might take or indeed if it is even possible.” Capital Economics bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Asian Development Bank approves $500 million loan to help Pakistan fight coronavirus. The loan will help deliver social protection the poor, expand health sector capabilities, and deliver fiscal stimulus to boost growth and jobs
Antibody testing is about 20% of the cost of a PCR test. PCR testing needs a cold chain while antibody is done quicker through a blood sample
Pakistan is understating its death toll as reasons other than respiratory failure aren’t being counted in deaths, says head of a government task force bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
The new cluster of infections, which emerged after a lull of nearly two months, has grown to over 150 infections in less than a week. Health officials have warned that the outbreak is expected to continue growing bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
IBA has decided not to have tests for admissions this time because of the virus. The new process will shortlist candidates based on previous academic qualification, co-curricular activities, social internships, achievements and personal statement
Pakistani manufacturers of low-cost widely used drug dexamethasone rose after it improved survival in patients with Covid. ICI Pakistan rose as much as 6% and Searle gained 7.2% to the highest in six months yesterday bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
This is a very important coronavirus indicator. The percentage of positive cases has gone up from 10% to around 20% range in Pakistan via @MashwaniAzhar
Healthcare workers infected with the virus in Pakistan
480 - April 29
4,195 - June 19
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh patients were 20% more likely to die than other ethnic groups -- a finding from 34,986 Covid-19 patients treated in 260 British hospitals showed bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
The measures will immediately take effect for visitors from Pakistan and Bangladesh as new cases surged by 67, the highest net increase since May 27. 23 out of the 67 cases were visitors from Pakistan or Bangladesh bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Remdesivir use can expand since current it’s administered through daily infusions at a hospital over a course of five to ten days, significantly limiting use bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Pakistan's cases may may reach four million while death toll may rise to 80,000 in two months: Pakistan Medical Association thenews.com.pk/print/677061-i…
☝️I have tried to keep a thread on virus-related posts, is it helpful or not?
Really glad to finally see all in masks and distancing today. Better late than never
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan thesis about balancing virus and the economy has backing now. Pandemic could kill more through hunger than the disease itself: Oxfam news.sky.com/story/coronavi…
When Patel Hospital started its virus ward, it was full within two weeks. Ziauddin, which gradually scaled up to about 100 beds saw the additional capacity filled within a few days. South City Hospital added a dozen new beds, filled within hours bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Pakistan’s cases are dropping as testing declining. Why its dropping? Either people are not coming to get tested or contact tracing has stopped
One of the biggest cattle markets in Pakistan has made 800 digital content creators sign an agreement to report only the positive side and overlook any violations related to the COVID-19 pandemic geo.tv/latest/297724-…
Archroma starts bulk production of hand sanitizers in Karachi. Swiss-based company says sanitizers are currently in high demand in Pakistan in hospitals, isolation centers, medical institutes and other health care environments due to the COVID-19 outbreak
Black Americans have been killed at three times the rate of white people by COVID-19. In the UK it’s four times. Two times if you’re ethnic Pakistani. Again, not all are equally hit. If you live in a rich area, your chance of dying of COVID-19 is halved weforum.org/agenda/2020/07…
The coronavirus automated message when you dialed a mobile number in Pakistan has stopped
One way of earning trust is to be transparent with what’s happening. If you’re in a neighbourhood, people should know things, such as the infection rates in their neighbourhood, says Harvard’s first Pakistani professor on the virus brecorder.com/news/amp/40005…
Pakistan’s virus center had been formed in March and the military became the fulcrum. Officials say GHQ sent the best officers. A three-star general was nominated as the chief coordinator with a two-star general to assist him dawn.com/news/1570822/s…
Pakistan’s Covid-19 patient flow eases at hospitals
June 20
Low Flow oxygen 1,749
High Flow oxygen 1,217
Ventilators 549
July 21
Low Flow oxygen 458
High Flow oxygen 762
Ventilators 261
Boston-based firm, which helps run large online conferencing events, is renting a house in the English countryside, with about 15 bedrooms, so many employees can live and work together, while still distancing. In some cases, family members are coming too wsj.com/articles/compa…
Debt-to-GDP levels are now projected to reach an average of 95% of GDP by the end of 2020 in MENAP oil-importing countries. Lowering debt and rebuilding buffers will be critical priorities once countries move beyond immediate pandemic-related recovery policies: IMF
IMF has provided nearly $17 billion in aid to the region's countries since the beginning of 2020 and helping to catalyze another $5 billion from official creditors
Pakistani politician @Senator_Baloch diagnosed with coronavirus. Hoping for a speedy recovery for him and everyone else with the pathogen
Pakistan is at risk for a second wave after infections drop. This is a good indicator, positive test results drop in testing bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Pakistan's virus cases continue to drop despite testing plateau. The country’s cases rose by the slowest pace since the outbreak began in Pakistan last week bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Eid “will draw millions of people into crowded fairs and religious and family gatherings. Masks and social distancing will be abandoned” similar to the Chinese New Year in Wuhan,” said Professor @steve_hanke of Johns Hopkins. The photo confirms this bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Pakistan’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturer Getz Pharma tested 24,210 people in mostly urban workspaces. 90% of those tested positive who would otherwise not have gone for a check @GetzPharmaIntlbloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Hospital pressure has eased but one important datapoint is that most people are quarantining at home. In Sindh, about 90% stayed at home with the virus. @SecKermani’s mentioned total fatalities is an important datapoint that has not eased yet
Its the third-largest destination for Chinese panels. Some traders have imported up to 250MWs in a month
Panels are so cheap that the frames they’re mounted on cost more now | thread 🧵 on our deep dive project bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
"The numbers are staggering"
About $1.7 billion of solar panels have been imported this year, that would equate to 17 gigawatts of generation and more than a third of Pakistan’s entire total power capacity if deployed bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Almost all farmers in Kasur have moved to solar power for irrigation pumps, ditching diesel generators and pricey grid electricity
Farmer Murtaza has slashed his power bill by 80% and with the savings, he’s able to plant three crops a year instead of two
Pakistan's Brightest Are Deserting the Country in Record Numbers
Economic storm is pushing out accomplished citizens. A million skilled people have left in three years | Thread on this long read bloomberg.com/news/features/…
Why are they leaving?
Prices for items like cars and ACs are now out of reach for most Pakistanis, with the cost of milk in Karachi surpassing what it would be in Paris.
Prices for 51 essential items in Pakistan’s inflation basket have almost doubled on average since 2022
Asad Ejaz Butt’s prestigious government jobs working under two finance ministers weren’t enough to pay the bills
“Passion to do something for the country was subdued by this economic responsibility and by salaries constantly being beaten by growing inflation”
THREAD: Pakistani financial platform Abhi that allows salaried employees to access funds before payday raised funds at a $40 million valuation just four months after its launch. Its gotten a new investor into Pakistan too 1/5
⚪️UAE-based Global Ventures invested for the first time in Pakistan
⚪️“Pakistan has trailed in its adoption to the internet economy and startup formation,” Noor Sweid, general partner at Global Ventures. “The startup boom in Pakistan is attracting global attention.” 2/5
About half the staff at coffee chain Espresso have used the service. Other than the app, about 10% users accessed funds by sending an SMS and 15% via WhatsApp 3/5
THREAD: Pakistan small grocery stores are one of the largest segments in the nation’s $170 billion retail industry. Everything is done manually 1/4
One startup saw an opportunity. They went door-to-door across Karachi to gather data and acquire customers. They found out each mom-and-pop store met 100 suppliers a week or more to get inventory, now they buy through from its app 2/4
Most of these grocery store operators don’t have a bank account but use mobile for WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook. Banks are interested to collaborate now 3/4
THREAD: Former tax chief Shabbar Zaidi who many hoped would be the best bet to fix Pakistan’s tax system but left in less than a year made some very candid comments in a webinar /1
Pakistani businessmen have stashed $150 billion offshore after making those in profits through local businesses, claims Zaidi. They would make more returns on those in Pakistan but there is the fear factor of the unknown/2
As tax chief Zaidi went to business chamber KCCI, told them and I will ease any tax-related hurdles, just stop selling smuggled goods across Karachi, the president plainly refused the offer saying that’s not possible/3
Pakistan is showing signs of business activity picking up at a faster clip. Evidence of momentum returning can be seen from growing cement-to-fuel sales and demand for home appliances to cars | My latest bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Cement sales rise near all-time high after lockdown ends and construction package /2
Petrol ⛽️ sales in June rose to a record high as people return to work /3 via @AAHSoomro