561 new cases recorded: Casualties by corona spike, 17 die in a day

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths from coronavirus during the last 24 hours.

As many as 561 people across the country tested positive from amongst 5,494 tested in a day, and 17 confirmed patients died in a single day, taking the total number of fatalities to 131 thus far.

Out f the total 6,937 confirmed cases, Sindh has 2,008 cases, Punjab 3,276, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 912, Balochistan 305, Islamabad Capital Territory 145, Gilgit-Baltistan 245 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir has 46 confirm cases. Out of total 131 deaths, KP has reported 42, Sindh 45, Balochistan five, Gilgit-Baltistan three, Punjab 35 and Islamabad Capital Territory has reported one death.

Sharing the data in a televised briefing, Focal Person for COVID-19 Dr Faisal Sultan said, 73 percent of patients who died were males, 85 percent were over 50 years of age, and 80 percent had co-morbid conditions that predisposed them to the disease due to compromised immunity. “The situation is somewhat akin to global trends,” he said.

Dr Faisal said, 199 patients had recovered and were discharged during the last 24 hours, while another 1,370 are currently hospitalised. The national and international case fatality rates are 1.9 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. He added that 16,775 people are currently lodged in various quarantine facilities across the country.

The focal person shared that efforts are being made to strengthen Pakistan’s testing capability. In this regard,he said, 48 laboratories are now performing coronavirus tests, as opposed to just a few until recently. “Only through testing can disease trends and direction be ascertained. Testing will also enable tracking of the disease and authentication of data,” he remarked.

“Over 600,000 test reactions will be provided to different laboratories for testing of suspected patients and their contacts for timely detection of potential hotspots in the country to prevent further transmission of coronavirus,” Dr Faisal said, adding that policies and actions will continue to be shaped and modified as the situation evolves.

Concluding the briefing, the focal person emphasised the need to appreciate the sensitivity of the situation, and to follow the social distancing and hand hygiene instructions being disseminated ever since the start of the epidemic. He said softening of restrictions does not, in any way, mean that people become complacent. “I am hoping that all Pakistanis will work together to slacken the spread of the epidemic,” he remarked.

As many as 58 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in KP, taking the provincial tally to 993, according to a situation report issued by the KP Health Directorate.

A spokesperson for the Health Department said 23 additional cases were added to KP's total, citing "data backlog". The province also recorded three new deaths, two in Peshawar and one in Nowshera.

Peshawar remained the worst victim where the virus took four lives in the past 24 hours and spread to 31 major residential areas. With the latest fatalities, the number of deaths caused by the fast-travelling coronavirus has reached 42 in KP. And out of these 42 deaths, 19 took place in Peshawar. According to the Health Department, the majority of those who died of coronavirus had travel history of Tableegh. Some of them contracted the virus during an annual congregation at Raiwind in Lahore. Of 50 new confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, Peshawar alone reported 38 cases on Wednesday.

Despite hectic efforts by the provincial government, the number of coronavirus is alarmingly increasingly day by day. In KP, the number of confirmed positive cases has reached 912. Except for four districts, the virus has reached entire KP. After Mardan, Peshawar has become the only place badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to official data, the virus has spread to 31 thickly populated areas of the city, including Yakatoot, Mohalla Muqqarab Khan, Hashtnagri, Choona Bhatti, Gulbahar, Ganj Gate, Shah Qabool, Dhaki Nalbandi, Dilzak Road, Kamboh, Zargarabad, Chamkani, Mathra, Nasir Bagh, etc. Previously the virus used to be spread by those coming from overseas. But now, according to health experts, it is being transmitted from local people to other people.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra told reporters in Peshawar that the number of positive cases could reach 10,000 in KP.

The number of corona positive cases in Haripur jumped to 10, as a former tehsil council member was tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

District Health Officer Dr Saifullah Khalid said that the former member tehsil council Haripur, Raja Ayaz, was the latest infected patient of COVID-19. According to Sindh government spokesperson, 340 new cases were reported in Sindh taking the provincial tally to 2,008.

At least 11 Tableeghi Jamaat members have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sindh's Sanghar district, the deputy commissioner has confirmed.

According to the deputy commissioner Dr Imranul Hassan, samples were taken from 96 Tableeghi Jamaat members who were isolated in different areas of the district, 11 of them were confirmed to have COVID-19 while the result of 16 more people was awaited.

The district's total tally of cases is now 16. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ordered a complete lockdown between 12pm to 3pm on Friday (today).

Speaking after meeting with a delegation of Ulema led by Mufti Muneebur Rehman, the chief minister again urged Ulema to support the government in enforcing the lockdown.

As many as 44 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Punjab, taking the provincial total to 3,276, according to a spokesperson for the Punjab Health Department.

Balochistan has reported 14 new cases of coronavirus taking the provincial tally to 305, provincial government spokesman Liaquat Shahwani has confirmed. The province has also reported two new deaths, taking the total number of people who have died from COVID-19 in the province to five.