Pakistan’s COVID-19 cases rise amid large gatherings

Islamabad: Amid defiance of the directive to wear masks and avoid large public gatherings, Pakistan reported 59 more deaths and 2,665 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.

The country’s tally reached 374,173 confirmed cases. Among those being treated for the virus, 1,653 are critical.

On Saturday, tens of thousands attended the funeral of a radical cleric in the eastern city of Lahore, and on Sunday, an alliance of opposition parties holds a rally in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

Both events ignore directives of the military-backed National Command and Operation Centre, a body assigned the task of controlling the spread of the virus, for people to wear masks, maintain physical distance and avoid large gatherings.