Coronavirus situation: Two elderly people die in Karachi, 110 more test positive in Sindh

KARACHI: Two more elderly persons passed away of COVID-19 in Karachi on Tuesday while 49 others, who all were members of the Tableeghi Jamaat, tested positive for the novel coronavirus, said the health authorities. After the new cases, the number of COVID-19 patients in Sindh has jumped to 676, of whom 627 are still under treatment.

Meanwhile, eight persons recovered from the viral disease and were allowed to go home from isolation centres, hospitals and quarantine centres, the authorities said, adding that the number of people recovered from the disease stands at 51.

“Two elderly persons, including a 70-year-old man and the other of 76 years of age, died due to complications of COVID-19 at the Indus Hospital Karachi during the last 24 hours. This brings the total deaths due to COVID-19 to eight in the province, who all passed away at various hospitals in Karachi”, an official of the Sindh health department said.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said the number of coronavirus cases in Sindh had reached 676, including 293 cases of local transmission while the number of cases on March 30 was 566. “This shows an increase of 110 cases during the last 24 hours”.

The CM was reviewing at the CM House the overall efforts of the government to contain coronavirus in the province. “The issue is local transmission and we have to contain it through strict measures,” he said.

The health department told the CM that in 45 hospitals, 505 beds had been provided for COVID-19 patients with the required isolation and treatment facilities.

At present, 315 patients of COVID-19 are under treatment, of whom 310 are stable and five are in critical condition. Some 263 patients have quarantined themselves at their homes.

The Sindh health department has tested 1,388 samples of the suspected COVID-19 patients, of which the results of 1,329 results have been received with 272 or 20 per cent of them have been diagnosed as positive cases.

The CM said the purpose of lockdown would be served when everyone would observe social distancing voluntarily. “I would request our people to stay home, be safe and let others be safe,” he said.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed provincial minister Imtiaz Shaikh and his relief team to get the required data from the federal government agencies such as the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) so that relief work could be started in the province.

The CM held a meeting with his relief team comprising Shaikh, Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, Murtaza Wahab and Haris Gazdar. They told him that they were ready to start the relief work. “We have requested the federal government agencies such as the NDMA and NADRA to provide the [required] data.”

Murad also directed the chief secretary to coordinate with the federal agencies and get the required data to launch the relief work.