PESHAWAR/LAHORE: The first six days of April have seen a rise in patients countrywide similar to what was seen last March. As positive testing expands, patient numbers also climb up. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) data said that around 58 cases were detected positive in the last 24 hours in Pakistan. One patient died while 15 were critical. The positivity ratio in the country was around 1.13% on April 6, 2023, while 5144 patients were tested. During the first five days of April, the highest numbers of Covid cases were in 105 in Punjab, with 90 victims of corona in Sindh. Around 18 cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Similarly, 21 cases were recorded in Islamabad and nearly two in Balochistan.
On April 5, 2023, around 3,562 persons were tested and 49 were found positive with average positivity of 1.38%. Similarly, 24 patients were in critical care.
According to government records, 2,946 tests were conducted on April, 3 and 47 positive cases were recorded with one death. The positive ratio was 1.60, and 20 patients were critical. Around 2,965 tests were done on April 3, 2023, and 55 positive cases were recorded with a 1.85% ratio. However, no death was recorded with 14 patients in critical care. Similarly, 3,836 patients were tested on April 2, 2023, and 55 patients were found positive with 1.43%. Around 26 patients were shifted to critical care without any death. On the first day of April, around 6,011 patients were tested for Covid and 87 patients reported positive, recording a positive rate of 1.45%. About 25 people were taken to intensive care where no deaths were reported on April 1.
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) data revealed that 1,579,968 confirmed cases were recorded in Pakistan during Covid-19 and 30,651 patients died. However, 212,886 patients recovered. Sindh has recorded the highest number of 596,666 positive cases and 8,260 patients died in the province. Punjab recorded 525,110 confirmed cases, and the highest death toll was recorded with 13,622 patients. Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 225,355 cases with 6,376 deaths. Almost 36,064 patients tested positive in Balochistan and around 378 patients died. Islamabad got 140,217 positive cases and 1,031 patients lost their lives.
The re-emergence of coronavirus in Punjab has posed a serious challenge to the health authorities, as at least six deaths and 25 new cases have been reported during the 24 hours. According to official statistics, the current incidence is 0.2 new cases a week per 100,000 inhabitants in Punjab whereas the rate of positive cases has reached 11 percent in Lahore with at least two deaths reported in 24 hours. Official sources confirmed that two patients had died during treatment in a private hospital in the Defence Housing Authority, Lahore during the 24 hours. In the past two weeks, as many as five deaths have been reported in the city, while 11 new patients have been reported during the 24 hours alone.
Currently, as many as eight patients are still under treatment in various public and private hospitals in the city.
In Punjab, there have been 525,110 confirmed cases out of which 491,786 have fully recovered. As many as 13,620 deaths have been reported in the province so far. Currently, about 390 people are sick, that is one in every 280,000 inhabitants in the province. According to official data, as many as 525,110 confirmed cases have been reported out of which 19,702 active cases while 491,786 have fully recovered.
According to the national data, the total number of countrywide Covid cases has been recorded at 1,579,968, including 525,110 confirmed cases in Punjab, and 1,054,858 in rest of Pakistan.
Similarly, a total of 30,651 deaths have been reported in Pakistan, including 13,622 deaths in Punjab alone and 17,029 in other parts of the country. Besides, as many as 1,547,627 patients have recovered across Pakistan, 491,786 in Punjab and 1,055,841 in other provinces, ICT, GB and AJK. The office-bearers of Corona Experts Advisory Group (CEAG) were not available for comments despite repeated attempts.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said the department was not compiling Covid-19 data actively. With data not being compiled, there is a possibility that most of the cases may not be reflected in the official dashboard of Covid-19 cases in the province.
Compared with Pakistan, India recorded 4,435 new Covid-19 infections — the biggest single-day jump in 163 days (five months and 13 days), while the number of active cases increased to 23,091, according to Union health ministry data, the Indian media reported. A total of 4,777 cases were recorded on September 25 last year.
With the fresh cases, India’s Covid-19 tally climbed to 4.47 crore (4,47,33,719). The death count increased to 5,30,916 with 15 deaths, the data updated at 8 am stated.
Four deaths were reported from Maharashtra; one death each was reported from Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Puducherry and Rajasthan; and four were reconciled by Kerala. At 23,091, the active cases now comprise 0.05 per cent of the total infections. The national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.76 per cent, according to the health ministry website.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 3.38 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 2.79 per cent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,79,712, while the case fatality rate stood at 1.19 per cent.
According to the ministry’s website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.