Another 121 test positive in twin cities

Rawalpindi : The coronavirus illness, COVID-19 outbreak that is getting more and more intense with every passing day at least here in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has taken shape almost similar to that in May as in last 24 hours, another 121 patients have been tested positive from the region taking tally to 24,056.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Wednesday has revealed that the number of patients being tested positive for COVID-19 in the region has been showing a tremendous upward trend particularly for the last one-and-a-half weeks and it is worth mentioning that the same trend was recorded during the second and third week of May.

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported on February 26 in the federal capital while on March 20 in Rawalpindi district and it took nearly two months for the disease to infect the first thousand people in the twin cities as on May 4, the total number of confirmed patients from the region was 1,048. In next 10 days, till May 14, over 1,000 new patients were tested positive.

Almost similar is the trend recorded in last 10 days or so as from October 4 to date, over 1,000 new patients have been tested positive for the illness from the region. The difference between the two situations is that in the first week of May, population almost all across the country was under a strict lockdown while in October, there is no lockdown nor people are willing to follow any SOPs.

In May, the authorities did not take serious measures to control spread of the disease and the partial lockdown was relaxed twice, once on May 9 and then on May 22 for Eidul Fitr and in June, there were thousands of cases reported per day from all across Pakistan. The existing situation hints at a second spike in number of cases and deaths though all businesses and educational institutions are operating almost as per routine with an exception of little precautions.

The total number of deaths so far caused by COVID-19 in the twin cities has reached 489.

In last 24 hours, as many as 98 more patients have been tested positive for COVID-19 in Islamabad Capital Territory taking total number of confirmed patients of the disease from the federal capital to 17,526. To date, 16,448 patients have recovered while the infection has already claimed 189 lives in ICT. The number of active cases of COVID-19 was 889 in ICT on Wednesday.

As many as 23 new patients have been tested positive from Rawalpindi district in last 24 hours taking tally to 6,530 of which 6,061 have recovered. There were 12 patients undergoing treatment at the healthcare facility in the district where as many as 157 confirmed patients have been in isolation at their homes, said Executive District Officer (Health) Rawalpindi Dr. Sohail Ahmed Chaudhary while talking to ‘The News’.