Corona cases rise to 243,000, deaths to 5,000

By our correspondents
July 10, 2020

Ag agencies

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KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Confirmed coronavirus cases in the country jumped to 242,000 after 3,359 new cases were detected over the last 24 hours. According to the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC), the number of confirmed cases in Punjab is 84,587, Sindh 1,009,00, Balochistan 11,099, Gilgit-Baltistan 1,605, Islamabad Capital Territory 13,731, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 29,406, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 1,459.

The country also reported 61 fatalities over the last 24 hours taking the nationwide tally to 5,000. The NCOC added, 1,491,437 tests were conducted in the country over the past day. The NCOC also lauded the efforts of Deputy Commissioner, Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat and his team for ensuring an effective coordination among the federal institutions in the fight against COVID-19.

A letter in this regard was issued by Lieutenant General Hamood uz Zaman Khan, HI (M), National Coordinator, NCOC. Meanwhile, at least 16 officials of Sindh police, including an SP, deputy superintendent of police (DSP), lost their lives to corona during duty, with majority of them from Karachi.

According to the official figures, a sharp increase has been witnessed during the last 56 days, as on May 13 the number of infected policemen was 1,345 across the province, who were admitted to various hospitals and isolation centers or were in self-isolation at their respective homes.

Five passed away, 121 were active cases, and 31 successfully recovered. The total number of infected police officials reached 1,925, the number of active cases is now 1,452. As many as 457 have recovered and 16 officials succumbed to coronavirus in the line of duty.

Out of 16 policemen, who have died, 14 belong to Karachi Division and two to Hyderabad Division. Complaint center in charge of district Malir SP Shakeel, Special Security Unit (SSU) DSP Ahmad Nawaz, Assistant Sub-Inspector Abdul Rahim, Sub-inspector Sher Gul Niazi, and 12 others died during treatment at hospitals, isolation centers and at their homes.

A Senior police officer on the condition of not to be named told The News that police officials were facing a lot of difficulties while performing duty. Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said 40 more people succumbed in the last 24 hours, while 1,538 new cases were reported.

In a statement issued from the CM house, Shah said the provincial death toll had reached 1,697 as of Thursday, constituting 1.6 % death rate. He said 1,538 new patients were detected by testing 9,860 samples, taking the current detection rate to 16%.

According to CM, around 1,254 patients had recovered in the last 24 hours, adding that the number of patients recovered so far had reached 57,627. The provincial recovery rate is 57 %, he added.

He said a total of 533,540 tests had been conducted adding that 580 patients were in critical condition. Meanwhile, in Khyber Agency, 354 new confirmed cases were detected taking the tally to 29,406. Nine more lives were lost (3 Kohat, 2 Peshawar, 1 each in Malakand, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur) taking the total to 1,063. As many as 712 patients recovered taking the tally to 19,503. A total of 170,613 tests have been conducted in the province so far.

Balochistan recorded 47 new infections and one death from the novel coronavirus, the provincial health department said in a report. The province's recoveries have reached 6,931, while the death toll stands at 125 and the overall cases have reached 11,099.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing Thursday lauded the National Command and Control Centre's role in mitigating coronavirus in the country. "The commanding system of NCOC is contributing greatly to the prevention and control of this terrible virus," Jing said in a video message after attending the inauguration ceremony of the Isolation Hospital and Infections Treatment Centre in Islamabad.

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