ISLAMABAD — The upward spiral of new virus infections in Pakistan neared 145,000 Monday amid warnings from officials that the numbers could double by the end of June and were likely to hit a stunning 1.2 million by the end of July if Pakistan’s 220 million people continue to flout basic precautions like mask wearing. Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, who also heads the government’s COVID-19 command center, warned that the virus will rampage through Pakistan unless there is “a change in our attitude toward the virus,” that ends the relentless refusal of most in Pakistan to social distance and wear masks in public. Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Umar said: We are in mid-June and our positive coronavirus cases are reaching near to 150,000. With a heavy heart, I have to say that Pakistan's confirmed Covid-19 case tally could even reach 1 million to 1.2 million by the end of next month, he was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. Umar added that the projections are neither predictions nor a certainty and that the spread of the virus can be stopped if the government and people work together against it. Still he defended Pakistan’s easing on lockdown restrictions saying the country’s economy would collapse under the burden of a total shutdown. Pakistan has stepped back on some easing of restrictions, closing markets on the weekend and extending closures of large wedding halls, restaurants, gymnasiums and large gatherings. Pakistan’s doctors have pleaded for stricter lockdowns saying the struggling health care system is already straining under the escalating numbers of infections. On Monday, Pakistan reached 2,729 deaths since mid-March. — Agencies