Federal minister tests positive as nationwide tally soars to 152,000.

ISLAMABAD: The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients soared to 151,883 on Tuesday, with 55,878 cases reported in Punjab, 57,868 in Sindh, 19,107 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 8,327 in Balochistan, 1,143 in Gilgit Baltistan, 8,857 in Islamabad and 703 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has claimed at least 2,896 lives while around 56,390 coronavirus patients have recovered.

Federal Minister for Information Technology Syed Aminul Haque tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Tuesday. After testing positive, he has isolated himself at the Parliament Lodges. The minister was currently in Islamabad to attend the budget session of the National Assembly. Health officials in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Tuesday reported another 40 cases of coronavirus to raise the state's tally to 703. No deaths were reported in the past 24 hours. The virus has claimed 13 lives while 290 people have recovered from the contagious disease in the region so far. Active cases stand at 400.

The Khyber Pakhtubkhwa (KP) health department confirmed another 24 casualties due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours to bring the provincial death toll to 732. At least 14 deaths were reported in Peshawar, two in Kohat, and one each in Mardan, Swabi, Buner, Dir Lower and Upper, Kurram, Bannu and Malakand. Health officials also reported 635 new cases of Covid-19, taking the total in the province to 19,107. At least 230 patients have recovered, taking total to 4,922. As many as 108,445 total tests have been conducted in the province so far.

Abbas Tariq, the head doctor of Institute of Kidney Disease Hayatabad's Anaesthesia Department, Tuesday died of Covid-19, becoming the sixth doctor to have lost the battle against the deadly virus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the Young Doctors Association (YDA), 460 doctors have contracted the virus in the province thus far.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Healthcare Commission has announced a training programme for 1,000 workers at private hospitals...