43,798 confirmed cases, 936 deaths

ISLAMABAD: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities in Pakistan rose to 43,798 and 936 respectively on Sunday as of 11:30pm Monday.

Out of the total 43,800 confirmed cases, Sindh reported 17,241 cases, Punjab 15,976, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6,230, Balochistan 2,692, Islamabad Capital Territory 997, Gilgit-Baltistan 550, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 114.

Of 936 deaths, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 334 deaths, Sindh 280, Punjab 273, Balochistan 37, Gilgit-Baltistan 4, Islamabad Capital Territory 7, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 1.

As the businesses opened due to the ease in the lockdown, buyers scurrying to the shopping malls were seen with no facemasks on, while those busy shopping were seen crowding together without adopting the health protocols. Sitting behind the cash counters, the shopkeepers too seemed least bothered about following the SOPs.

Meanwhile, churches in Punjab have been allowed to open on Sundays subject to adoption of social distancing protocols, says a notification issued by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

The government has also allowed grocery stores, karyana stores, vegetable, meat and chicken shops, auto workshops and all kinds of mandis to operate from 9am to 5pm all week. Bakeries, tandoors and dairy shops have also been allowed to open from 2am (sehri).

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Monday said his province was much ahead of other provinces in conducting COVID-19 tests and their labs were working at 77 percent capacity.

"We have 19 laboratories to test coronavirus samples and they have the capacity to test 6,550 samples a day; now they are operating at 77 percent of their capacity," he said in a statement issued by CM House.

The chief minister said a coronavirus testing lab was also being established in Larkana, apart from establishing designated hospitals for the COVID-19 patients. He said 864 new cases of coronavirus had been detected.

Shah said overnight 4,679 tests were conducted which detected 864 cases, including 657 in Karachi. He said so far, 127,573 samples had been tested which diagnosed 17,241 cases constituting 13.5 percent of the total tests.

According to the chief minister, three more patients died taking the death toll to 280, which came to 1.6 percent of the total patients. At present, 12,472 patients are under treatment, of them 11,095 or 89 percent are in home isolation, 815 or six percent at Isolation centers and 562 or five percent in hospitals.

Shah said 136 patients were in critical condition including 29 who had been put on ventilators. Shah said 280 more patients had cured and discharged. “We have 4,489 patients who have recovered and returned to their homes which constitutes 26 percent of the total patients,” Shah said and added, “The recovery ratio in the province is static at 26 percent and we are trying to improve it further.”

The chief minister said out 864 patients, 657 belonged to Karachi adding that 171 new cases had been diagnosed in East, 141 in Malir, 117 in South, 94 in Central, 75 in Korangi and 59 in West.

Ghotki has 31 new cases, Hyderabad 30, Larkana 21, Sukkur 17, seven in Kambar-Shahdadkot, five Kashmore-Kandhkot, two each in Matiari and Naushehroferoe and one each in Shaheed Benazirabad, Khairpur and Jamshoro.

Meanwhile, the World Bank and Sindh government have agreed to launch $145 million Sindh Covid-19 Response programme and locust control project in the province. This decision was taken in a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and World Bank Country Director Patchamuthu Illangovan through a video link. The former participated from CM House Karachi while the latter along with his team from his Islamabad office.

The chief minister was assisted by Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, CM Coordinator Haris Gazdar, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Energy Musadiq Khan, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and Secretary Investment Najam Shah.

At the outset of the meeting, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that his government with technical and financial support of the World Bank wanted to launch the COVID-19 Impact Programme.

He added that for the purpose resource mobilization through diversion of funds/restructuring, repurposing and realigning World Bank portfolio would be required.

He added that the World Bank team was also working on the high frequency of COVID impact monitoring system to support government decision-making.

The chief minister said that Karachi specific monitoring system was being developed but “I want a high impact COVID Monitoring System should be developed for the entire province,” he suggested the World Bank.

According to Shah, his government has planned to disinfect all the public places, bus stands/stops, offices, proper cleaning of roads and public areas, cleaning of storm water drains and nullahs, establishment of two garbage transfer stations and two landfill sites in the city.

The World Bank chief approved the proposal and said that Sindh government could use funds up to $135 million from its different projects by diverting the amount until the project was formally approved from the concerned forums.