Covid-19 claims 14 more lives in Sindh

A day after Sindh reported 14 deaths from the novel coronavirus, fourteen more Covid-19 patients passed away in Sindh on Thursday . The province’s death toll from the infectious disease had reached 2,718, said the Sindh chief minister.

As many as 979 positive surfaced when 12,599 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, which meant a 7.7 per cent detection rate that was the highest of late, said Syed Murad Ali Shah.

In total, 1,773,517 tests have been conducted in Sindh which detected 153,051 cases and of them, 95 per cent or 141,760 patients have defeated the virus, including 314 who recovered yesterday.

Currently, 8,573 patients are under treatment: 8,149 in home isolation, five at isolation centres and 419 at hospitals. The condition of 339 patients is critical and of them, 36 are on life support.

Of the new 979 cases, 789 are from Karachi: 311 from District East, 222 from District South, 89 from District Central, 74 from Korangi, 70 from Malir and 23 from District West.

Hyderabad has reported 74 cases, Ghotki and Jamshoro seven each, Sanghar and Tando Mohammad Khan six each, Sukkur and Thatta five each, Larkana and Shaheed Benazirabad four each, Badin and Umerkot two each, and Dadu, Jacobabad, Kambar, Kashmore and Naushehroferoze one each.

Fines

Following Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Ali Shallwani’s orders to the deputy commissioners of the six districts of the city to fine every citizen Rs500 if they are found in public without a mask, 116 more people were fined Rs58,000 in the South district on Wednesday and Thursday.

Moreover, Assistant Commissioner for Civil Lines Waleed Baig sealed five restaurants in Clifton Block-2 and two others in the Khadda Market area of the Defence Housing Authority during routine inspections to check violations of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to the fear of the second wave of the novel coronavirus hitting Karachi, on November 6 the commissioner’s office made wearing masks in public compulsory across the city. Shallwani directed all the six deputy commissioners of the city to make sure that citizens wear masks in public.

He had ordered the deputy commissioners to ensure that citizens wear masks when they are outside their homes. For those found without masks, he directed the deputy commissioners to take action against them and fine them Rs500 each.

Following the orders, 44 people were fined Rs22,000 in the Central and South districts. Moreover, the Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC) and 12 businesses were sealed while three others were fined Rs20,000 in the two districts over SOPs violations.

District Central Deputy Commissioner Bux Dharejo had ordered sealing four wedding halls, a shop and two hotels in his jurisdiction, besides fining 28 people Rs14,000 for not wearing masks.

District South Deputy Commissioner Irshad Ali Sodhar had ordered fining and sealing nine shops in his jurisdiction over non-compliance with the coronavirus SOPs while touring the district with the assistant commissioners of the Civil Lines and Aram Bagh areas.

He also inspected 38 restaurants, issued warnings to 17 and sealed two. Out of the three schools he visited, one was sealed and one was issued with a warning. A bakery was also sealed and a milk shop was fined Rs5,000. A travel agency in the district was fined Rs5,000, two garment shops were fined Rs10,000.