4 deaths, 87 new cases from twin cities

Rawalpindi : Another four confirmed patients of COVID-19 lost their lives due to the disease here in Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district in last 24 hours taking death toll from the region to 479 while another 87 tested positive for coronavirus illness from the region taking tally to 23430.

It is important that the virus claimed four lives in a day from the region on Thursday after 84 days. The number of patients being tested positive and the deaths caused by the illness in last one week hint that the virus has once again started hitting population badly at least in this region of the country and the outbreak has become as intense as it was in the middle of July.

In last one week, as many as 498 new patients have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 from the region while the virus claimed another nine lives and it is happening at a time when almost all educational institutions have become operational and marriage halls have resumed offering their services.

The number of patients being tested positive from the twin cities is on a continuous rise hinting towards a second spike of the outbreak. Health experts believe that the current phase of the outbreak is much critical as the reaction and response of the concerned government authorities in the existing phase would decide about intensity of the second spike. Experts say it is time to convince public that the pandemic is still hitting population and it may get more severe in coming days.

In last 24 hours, the virus claimed one life in Rawalpindi district and three in the federal capital. According to details, a 67-year old male who was a resident of Rawal Town in the district died of COVID-19 on Thursday.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Thursday has revealed that another death from the district has taken death toll to 292 while confirmation of 14 new patients positive for the illness has taken tally to 6,421 of which 5,977 have so far recovered.

On Thursday, a total of 17 confirmed patients of COVID-19 were undergoing treatment at the healthcare facility in the district while as many as 135 confirmed patients of the disease were in isolation at their homes, said Executive District Officer (Health) Rawalpindi Dr. Sohail Ahmed Chaudhary while talking to ‘The News’. He added that a total of 408 persons belonging to the district were under quarantine at their homes.