Corona deaths continue to decline

ISLAMABAD: The number of people dying from the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country has started declining, as 77 deaths were reported in the 24-hour timespan on Tuesday taking the toll to 4,880.

The confirmed cases reached 236,344 on Tuesday after 2,691 new cases were reported, latest data from the National Command and Control (NCOC) shows. According to the Centre, Sindh reported 97,626 confirmed cases, Punjab 82,669, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 1,383, Balochistan 10,841, Gilgit Baltistan 1,587, Islamabad Capital Territory 13,557, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 28,681. Data shows that 3,308 more people recovered countrywide during the last 24 hours taking the total number of recoveries to 134,957, says media reports. According to the portal, the number of critical patients stood at 2,306.

Punjab has recorded 706 new cases during the last 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 82,669. The province also recorded 15 additional fatalities, taking the death toll to 1,889.

According to the portal, 47,054 patients have recovered from the virus in the province so far. Sindh chief minister said 1,388 more people had tested positive, raising the tally to 97,626. In a statement issued from the CM House, the chief minister said 42 more people had died in the last 24 hours taking the death toll to 1,614. The number of affected policemen in Sindh has risen to 1,885 after 215 more tested positive over the last two days, according to a spokesperson for the Sindh police. The spokesperson said 1,423 policemen were also under treatment, while 446 had recovered. Sixteen policemen have lost their lives so far. The death rate increased from 1.6% to 1.7% after new deaths were reported, Shah said. "This needs to be controlled through awareness and timely treatment," he added.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 445 new confirmed cases were reported taking the total number of cases to 28,681. Seven more lives were lost (3 in Abbottabad, 2 in Swabi, and 1 each in Peshawar and Nowshera) taking the death toll to 1,045. According to the data, 717 patients have recovered taking the total to 17,266. A total of 166,178 tests have so far been conducted in the province. The number of active cases is 10,370.

Islamabad reported 63 new cases and three deaths, Gilgit Baltistan 26 new cases and 2 deaths, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 41 cases and no death.

According to the Centre, over 7,494 violations of health guidelines were noted during last 24 hours across Pakistan. In consequence of violations, more than 604 markets and shops and 981 transporters were fined and sealed as per the violation. However, the provincial governments, including AJK, GB, and ICT, were making all out efforts to enforce health guidelines and instructions’ compliance for public safety and well-being to contain coronavirus spread.

Similarly, as many as 352 smart lockdown are imposed in 55 districts with 2.6 million population. Moreover, 23 areas in Punjab with population of 621,236 persons, 33 areas in Sindh with 893,821 persons, 244 areas in KPK with 836390 persons, 30 areas in AJK with 87,478 persons, 5 areas in Islamabad with 65,000 persons and 17 areas in GB with 151,317 persons were kept under smart lockdown. Eleven more tested positive during the last 24 hours in Attock district taking the number of confirmed cases to 466. According to the district focal person for Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi of 11 new patients, three belonged to Attock city, seven to Hazro, and one to Fateh Jang.

The number of suspected cases rose to 3,608 while the screening of as many as 7,189 persons has been carried out so far in which as many as 2,847 were tested negative. He said that the result of as many as 295 suspects of the area is awaited.

The Centre was informed that on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government had added 1,227 oxygen beds in various hospitals of the country. Out of total beds, 80 oxygen beds were provided to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 100 each to Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, 320 to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 330 to Punjab, 70 to Sindh, and 227 to Islamabad.