Asad Umar says number of Covid-19 cases in end June to be lower than earlier predicted.

Planning Minister Asad Umar on Friday said that the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC), after reviewing recent Covid-19 figures, believes that the number of nationwide cases by the end of June will be 225,000 or less.

Earlier, the government had predicted that there would be around 300,000 cases by the end of this month. Umar, while addressing the media alongside Information Minister Shibli Faraz, said that the reduction in the projected figures "proves that if we all do the right thing and everyone performs their duty on an individual level while the government does its job on a communal level, a significant success in curbing the spread can be seen".

Detailing the reasons behind the reduction in figures, Umar said: "Most people realised their responsibility. Not everyone realised [their responsibility] and as a result, the government had to take some administrative measures.

"As a result, we are now looking at 225,000 cases instead of 300,000 - which we initially feared."

He also explained some measures taken by the NCOC to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. On May 30, the body issued a guideline, deeming it compulsory to wear a mask at crowded places.

A week later, on June 4, the NCOC issued directives to the provinces to administrative action in order to implement the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid out by the government. The provinces share data with the NCOC twice a week, Umar said.

On June 14, the NCOC told provinces to expand 'smart lockdown', which Umar said had been in place since May. The body pointed out the 'hostpots' - areas where a...