Pakistan's coronavirus cases on Wednesday crossed the 15,000 mark while the death toll from the pandemic reached 335 with 34 more fatalities as the infection continued to spread steadily, the health ministry said.
As many as 480 health workers have also tested positive for the virus in the country.
According to the Ministry of National Health Services, the coronavirus has so far infected 15,289 patients. A total of 3,425 people have recovered from the contagion while 129 were still in critical condition.
The ministry said that Punjab has reported 5,827, Sindh 5,695, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 2,160, Balochistan 915, Gilgit-Baltistan 330, Islamabad 297 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 65 cases.
So far 165,911 tests have been conducted, including 8,530 on Tuesday.
The death toll due to the contagion stands at 335.
The coronavirus has so far infected 480 medical professionals in the country.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the number of infected doctors reached 55, according to Dr Ali Raza of Young Doctors Association (YDA).
In Balochistan, 30 doctors tested positive, provincial YDA official Dr Rahim Babar said.
Two reporters have also tested positive in Peshawar. Earlier, ARY News office was closed in Islamabad after several workers were tested positive.
Advisor on Security Dr Moeed Yusuf told reporters that the border with India was still closed and the government was in touch to bring home Pakistanis stranded in India.
He said that more than 7,500 Pakistanis would be brought back until May 9 and the government has given permission to some airlines to operate commercial flights especially to countries where the national flag carrier had no access such as the US, Australia and Africa.
The government has imposed essential services regulations on the Pakistan International Airlines after reports that some pilots and crew were unwilling to work due to the virus threat.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan received a telephone call from Iran President Dr Hassan Rouhani and the two leaders exchanged views on the COVID-19 situation and locust spread in the bordering areas of the two countries, according to a statement by his Office. They also exchanged greetings on Ramzan.
Separately, Pakistan political leaders discussed ways to hold parliament session as the government was pushing for a virtual session.
Addressing a meeting of the parliamentary leaders through a video link, Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asked the government to call the session. A similar demand was made by Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz leaders.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: We are finalising the suggestions.
Pakistan has extended the validity of all types of visas issued to foreign nationals in Pakistan until June 30, the Interior Ministry said.
Meanwhile, an important Hindu member of the Sindh provincial Assembly Rana Hameer Singh became the latest politician to test positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, a day after Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said he had contracted the disease, according to Tharparkar Deputy Commissioner Shahzad Tahir.
Sindh has banned all religious gatherings during the holy month of Ramzan in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus.
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