Coronavirus claims nine more lives in Sindh

At least nine more persons died, mostly at various hospitals in Karachi, while 431 more cases of COVID-19 were detected in Sindh during the last 24 hours, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said and directed the health department to start random testing at grocery and vegetable shops so that local spread could be checked and contained accordingly.

“Cases of local spread are increasing equally in urban and rural areas of the province. A villager recently visited Hyderabad and got himself infected there. When he returned to his village he infected others,” Shah said in his daily video message on Wednesday, adding that “when we checked his 30 relatives/connections, nine of them had been infected by him.”

This is the reason that we have decided to start random testing at grocery shops, vegetable shops and such other places where people go off and on, the CM said, adding that random checking was aimed at checking the local spread and making a new strategy to contain the virus. “I have issued the directive and hope that the people will cooperate with the field staff of our labs.”

New COVID-19 cases

The chief minister, sharing a report on the coronavirus situation, said 3671 samples were tested, and 451 new cases emerged, while nine more people lost their lives to the infection.

He said 3,671 tests were conducted between May 5 and May 6, and 451 new cases were found as a result. The number of tests conducted so far is 72,544, and 8,640 people have tested positive.

He said 451 cases against 3,671 tests constituted 12.3 per cent positive rate. He added the ratio was high and alarming.

Shah said that nine patients succumbed to the virus infection, talking the death toll to 157, which was 1.8 per cent of the total patients. “Yes, we have good news also that 60 more patients have been cured and discharged and now the number of patients who defeated the virus and recovered has reached 1,731, which is 20 per cent.”

The chief minister, sharing the data of 6,752 patients under treatment, said 5,528 or 82 per cent of the patients were in home isolation, 721 or 10 per cent were at isolation centres and 503 were at different hospitals.

He added that 89 patients were in critical condition, and 14 of them were on ventilators. He prayed for their early recovery.

He said that out of 451 new cases, 327 belonged to Karachi and they included District Central’s 68, District’s East 74, Korangi’s 25, Malir’s 26, South’s 87 and West’s 47. He added that 24 new cases had been reported in Shikarpur, 19 in Sukkur, seven in Larkana, five in Hyderabad, four in Sujawal, three in Ghotki, two in Sanghar, one each in Matiari, Mirpurkhas and Dadu.

The chief minister said that of 451 cases, 327 belonged to Karachi: 87 in South, 74 in East, 68 in Central, 47 in West, 26 in Malir and 25 in Korangi, he said and added over 6,084 cases existed in the city.

Dr Furqan-ul-Haq

The chief minister disclosed that the inquiry ordered into the death of Dr Furqan-ul-Haq, who died allegedly of the unavailability of a ventilator, had been completed. “Now, I have ordered the health department to take strict action against officers whose failure has been pointed out,” he said.

He offered condolences to the family members of late the Dr Furqan and also offered condolences to the family members of other doctors, policemen and paramedical staff who had lost their lives in the line of duty, particularly while protecting others.

Stranded Pakistanis

Shah said different flights had brought back 2,369 stranded Pakistanis and all of them were tested. As a result, 515 of them came positive, which was 22 per cent. He said that the patients were being taken care of properly. The chief minister asked the people of the province to follow the SOPs and observe social distancing.

NCOC meeting

Chief Minister Shah, through a video link from the CM House, participated in the NCOC meeting organised by Federal Minister Asad Omar in Islamabad. The meeting discussed matters pertaining to the lockdown, particularly the post-May 9 measures.

The meeting was also attended by the chief ministers/ministers of other provinces, as well as of Gilgit-Baltistan. The Sindh chief minister said the death ratio from the coronavirus had increased, apart from a spike in the new cases, particularly of local transmission. “In such a state of affairs, we have to take decisions after thorough discussion and debate and with national unity,” he said.

The meeting discussed how to ease the lockdown and which business activities should be allowed to start operations. In the meeting, different sectors were discussed and like other provinces’ CMs, the Sindh chief minister gave his recommendations and observations.