Fumigation in Pakistan where virus cases found

The streets of Rawalpindi, on the periphery of Islamabad, were fumigated on Saturday in an effort to combat the epicemic caused byt he new virus that's swept the globe.

The fumigation was carried out by Bahria Town, a privately owned real-estate development company which has been assisting the government in its efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

All entrance and exit points of the twin cities have been cordoned off by the police in view of the rising numbers of victims in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Pakistan has 2,686 confirmed cases and 40 deaths. Most of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 are in Pakistan's southern Sindh province and are traced to pilgrims returning from Iran, with more than 58,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,200 deaths.

The World Bank has given Pakistan USD 200 million in aid to help the most vulnerable as the country deals with the pandemic with a lockdown that Prime Minister Imran Khan says will continue until April 14. The money will be used to provide social protection measures, as well as food for the poorest and education supplies for the millions of children out of school.

Khan has been criticised for not moving quicker, particularly in stopping a world-wide gathering of Tableeghi Jamaat (Islamic missionaries) to Pakistan, that was eventually cancelled in mid-March, weeks after the virulent nature of the epidemic was known and tens of thousands had already gathered in the country.