Nasal swab child Pakistan coronavirus protective gear
A paramedic wearing protective gear takes a nasal swab from a child, to be tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Karachi, Pakistan July 13, 2020. Image Credit: Reuters

Islamabad: Pakistan's military-backed National Command and Operation Centre has issued a warning that another lockdown could be imposed to contain COVID-19 deaths if people don't stop violating social distancing rules.

The announcement on Wednesday came after Pakistan reported 660 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours and 19 single-day deaths.

The daily death toll was one of Pakistan's highest in more than two months. Deaths from COVID-19 have steadily increased since the government lifted its months-long lockdown in August.

Pakistan has reported 324,744 confirmed cases of the virus and 6,692 virus-related deaths since February.