Covid-19 outbreak gets more intense: Five more educational institutions sealed in ICT

Islamabad: As many as 401 new patients have been tested positive for coronavirus illness, COVID-19 in last 24 hours from Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district showing the outbreak is getting more and more intense as over 400 cases in a day have been reported from the region after June 21.

The virus also claimed another seven lives in the twin cities in last 24 hours that has taken death toll from the region to 587. It is alarming that as many as 35 patients have died of the illness in the region in last one week.

District Health Officer ICT Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia who has already expressed to ‘The News’ that the number of COVID-19 cases may go up further in next few days has recommended immediate closure of another five educational institutions on Wednesday after reporting of COVID-19 cases from their campuses.

The letters issued by his office advised to immediately close down Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) Post-graduate Margalla Campus in Sector F-7/4, Islamabad Model School for Girls (IMSG), I-X in Lakhwal, Islamabad Model College for Girls in Nilore, IMSG in G-10/1 and Islamabad Model School for Boys (IMSB) VI-X in G-7/3-1 for a period till further intimation by the office of DHO ICT.

Talking to ‘The News’ on Wednesday, he said the teams of health department are making all out efforts to contain the virus and his office is strictly monitoring situation in educational institutions along with markets, shopping malls and many other premises. We do not want to take any chance and in no way, we can give more room to virus to spread, he said.

He, however, added that in the existing scenario, it is responsibility of individuals as well to follow SOPs religiously not only to safeguard themselves but also to avoid further spread of coronavirus illness.

In last 24 hours, as many as three patients died of the disease in the federal capital from where another 322 cases have been reported taking tally to 22,432 of which 19,443 have recovered while 247 have lost their lives. The number of active cases of the illness in ICT has jumped to 2742 on Wednesday that was 1,869 one-week back, on November 4.

On the other hand, another four patients including one female died of the disease in last 24 hours in Rawalpindi district from where 79 new patients have been tested positive for COVID-19 taking tally to 7,411 of which 6,623 have been discharged after treatment while 340 have lost their lives.

The number of admitted patients at the healthcare facilities in the district is 39 while 409 confirmed patients of the disease have been in home isolation, said Executive District Officer (Health) Rawalpindi Dr. Sohail Ahmed Chaudhary while talking to ‘The News’.