6 more deaths, 353 new cases

Rawalpindi : The coronavirus illness, COVID-19 outbreak is still hitting population hard in this region of the country even after implementation of smart lockdown in selected localities in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi one-and-a-half weeks back and it seems that there is a need of more active surveillance to point out areas requiring smart lockdown for control on COVID-19 spread.

The COVID-19 claimed another six lives here in the twin cities in last 24 hours while another 353 patients have been tested positive from the region tally to 15,960 till Tuesday morning. The intensity of pandemic continued to get severer with every passing day at least in last one month or so. In the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus illness crossed the figure of 1,000 on May 4, nearly two months after confirmation of the first case of the disease in the region. The next 4,000 cases of the disease were reported in only 29 days as the number of confirmed cases crossed the figure of 5,000 on June 2.

It is worth mentioning here that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported on February 26 in the federal capital while on March 20 in Rawalpindi district. In last three weeks, however, the COVID-19 spread got rapid and around 11,000 patients have been tested positive from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi in last 21 days taking tally to around 16,000.

The number 15,960 includes locals from Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district and the patients from any other district of the country undergoing treatment in the region have not been added to the twin cities’ dashboard.

It is also shocking that out of a total of 325 deaths so far caused by COVID-19 in the twin cities, as many as 194 were reported in last three weeks. Till June 2, the virus had claimed 129 lives in the region including 99 from the district and 30 from the ICT while on Tuesday; as many as 219 deaths have been reported from Rawalpindi and 106 from ICT but still the top leadership in the country is discouraging lockdowns.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Tuesday reveals that in last 24 hours, the virus claimed another five lives in ICT while one confirmed patient of COVID-19, a 75-year old male from Tehsil Taxila died in Rawalpindi district.

Another 46 patients have been tested positive from the district in last 24 hours taking tally to 4,741 of which 2,307 have been discharged after treatment while 707 have been undergoing treatment at the healthcare facilities in the district, said Executive District Officer (Health) Rawalpindi Dr. Sohail Ahmed Chaudhary while talking to ‘The News’ on Tuesday. As many as 1,507 confirmed patients have been in isolation at their homes in the district while 5420 under quarantine at their homes.

Meanwhile, confirmation of another 307 patients positive from ICT in last 24 hours has taken the total number of confirmed patients of the disease from the federal capital to 11,219 of which 5,012 patients have so far recovered from the disease while the infection has claimed 106 lives in ICT. Of 106 deaths so far caused by COVID-19 in ICT, 76 were reported in last three weeks.