ISLAMABAD - The Pakistani army said on Monday it would help to impose nationwide restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus following a request from the government.

"The army chief of staff has ordered the deployment of all available troops and medical resources according to requirements," a military spokesman, Major General Babar Iftikhar, said in an announcement broadcast live on television news channels.

Pakistan has so far reported 875 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and six deaths.

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad Editing by Gareth Jones) ((asif.shahzad@thomsonreuters.com; +923018463683;))