PESHAWAR: As many as 88 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, taking the provincial total to 1,541, according to the KP health department.

The province also reported two deaths, with which the KP’s death toll from the virus so far has mounted to 85.

The relaxation in the lockdown has raised fears of spike in the cases. On Thursday, almost all the bazaars and markets in KP, particularly in Peshawar, which is most affected districts, were open for those who came for shopping for Ramazan. A huge rush of people was seen everywhere and people threw the precaution into the air. Almost every market was full of people and the authorities also did not force anyone to observe precaution.

Meanwhile, KP Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said the province has got the capacity of over 1,000 tests per day. He shared the details of testing on Twitter on Friday.

Countrywide death toll crosses 237

The number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 11,155 after different parts of the country reported new cases.

The total death toll in Pakistan now stands at 237, with KP having the most fatalities at 83. Sindh has reported 73 deaths, Balochistan eight, Gilgit-Baltistan three, Punjab 65 and Islamabad Capital Territory has reported three deaths.

According to latest data, Sindh has reported 3,053 cases, Punjab 4,328, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1,345, Balochistan 495, Islamabad Capital Territory 185, Gilgit-Baltistan 283 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir has reported 50 cases.

A total of 2,527 people in Pakistan have recovered from coronavirus so far.

KP doctors seek complete lockdown

The Provincial Doctors Association has strongly recommended complete lockdown in KP to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The doctors have also called for separate hospitals at divisional level for the infected people to manage active patients effectively.

The PDA president Dr Amir Taj said complete lockdown must be enforced to keep people at home to avoid the spread of the virus. He said if it was not done, the healthcare system of KP would collapse.

Dr Amir Taj said the testing facility must be enhanced to have a clear picture about the disease. He said over 50 health workers, including 20 doctors, have tested positive for coronavirus. He said it could have been avoided if separate arrangements were in place for suspected patients.