Corona kills another 43 countrywide

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The total active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Sunday were recorded at 47,390, as 2,829 more people tested positive during the last 24 hours.

Forty-three corona patients, of whom 37 were under treatment in hospitals, died on Saturday, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

No affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan, while 286 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country, out of the 1,758 allocated for the corona patients.

Around 40,369 tests were conducted countrywide on Saturday, including 9,072 in Sindh, 17,771 in Punjab, 5,140 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 6,699 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 603 in Balochistan, 324 in GB, and 760 in AJK.

Around 339,810 people have recovered countrywide making it a significant count with over 86 percent recovery ratio.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, a total of 395,185 cases have been detected so far, including 6,682 in AJK, 17,101 in Balochistan, 4,637 in GB, 29,782 in ICT, 46,877 in KP, 118,511 in Punjab and 171,595 in Sindh.

Around 7,985 deaths have so far been recorded since the eruption of the contagion, including 2,911 in Sindh of whom 10 died in hospitals and four out of hospitals on Saturday, 2,979 in Punjab 17, 1,359 in KP of whom four died in hospitals on Saturday, 309 in ICT of whom two died in hospitals, 166 in Balochistan of whom one died in hospital on Saturday, 97 in GB of whom one died in hospital on Friday and 164 in AJK of whom three died in hospitals on Saturday.

A total of 5,475,508 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 614 hospitals are equipped with COVID-19 facilities.

The COVID Mortality Analysis on Sunday showed the total deaths occurred were 7,985 with Covid Fatality Rate (CFR) reaching 2.02 percent against 2.33 percent global CFR as 71 percent of the died were males.

In the COVID Mortality Analysis, the NCOC mentioned that out of the deceased 71 percent males were over the age of 50, while 72 percent of patients who died due to COVID-19 had chronic comorbidities (meaning having different diseases existing at the same time with another disease for a long period of time).

Out of the total deaths, 91 percent of the deceased remained hospitalized while 58 percent of hospitalized patients remained on ventilators.

As per the Mortality Analysis, during the last 24 hours as many as 43 COVID-19 patients succumbed to the deadly virus.

Out of the 43 dead in past 24 hours, 86 percent (37) of the deceased remained hospitalized whereas 6six died at home.

It added that 28 patients who died were on the ventilator, while 67 percent (29) deceased were males whereas 79 percent deceased had co-morbidities (overlapping or existing of multiple medical conditions at the same time).

Meanwhile, the Punjab government Sunday enforced a smart lockdown in nine cities in view of a constant increase in positivity percentage and prevalence of COVID-19 in the province during last two weeks.

According to a notification issued by the Primary & Secondary Healthcare Deportment (P&SHD), Punjab on Sunday, it was mandatory to take all possible safety measures for prevention and control of the disease.

As an immediate preventive and speedy remedy to ensure public health and conserve lives in the Punjab, the P&SH Department, under the Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Act 2020 and after approval from the Chief Minister, notified that there shall be "controlled entry and exit" in the areas of districts of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Layyah, Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Mianwali and Faisalabad identified as hotspots of Covid-19 disease with immediate effect till December 8, 2020.

The hotspot areas of district Lahore include Wapda Town and Bahria Town (Areas of Ghouri Block, Umer Block, Shaheen Block, Safari Block, Gulbahar Block, Gulmehar Block, Baber Block, Overseas Block) in Allama lqbal Town; Askari X Sector C&D, DHA Phase 3 (X.Y.Z), DHA Phase 5 (A&G), DHA Phase 6 (D), Cavalry Ground, Street 7 & 8, Punjab Cooperative Housing Society Block C&D, and Askari 15 in Cantonment Town; Tariq Block, Garden Town and Model Town in Gulberg Town; and Fatehgarh in Aziz Bhatti Town. Rest of the areas of Lahore shall remain open.

As per the notification, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants, offices (public and private) shall remain closed in these areas. There shall be a complete ban on movement of people to and from these areas by public and private transport except for limited movement of one person per vehicle to and from the exempted facilities.

There shall also be a complete ban on gatherings of all kinds for social religious, or any other purpose at any place, public or private throughout these areas.

In the closed areas, however, the following shall be exempted from this order: Grocery stores, general/karyana stores, atta chakkis, fruit & vegetable shops, tondoors & petrol pumps shall be open from 9am to 7 pm for seven days a week; all medical services and pharmacies/medical stores, laboratories and collection points, hospitals and clinics for 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and milk shops, chicken & meat / fish shops and bakeries shall remain open from 7am to 7pm seven days a week.

The large departmental stores will only keep their grocery/pharmacy sections open while all others sections will remain closed. They will allow customers to enter stores in smaller groups while fulfilling the condition of social distancing. SOPs devised in consultation with district administration and police shall be strictly complied.

The exemption, however, is allowed to the officials of government departments on duty, duly notified by respective departments, including judges, lawyers and court staff; personnel related to health services including hospitals, clinics, laboratories collection points and medical stores; personnel related to law enforcement agencies; personnel related to essential services/offices going to perform their duties or providing essential services; persons in need of medical care with two attendants where necessary; persons going to buy grocery and medicines within the vicinity of their residence; necessary/unavoidable religious rites like the last rites, Namaz-e-Janaza, burial and related events; utility companies including WASAs, municipalities, Wapda, NTDC, DISCOs and SNGPL; public and private telecom/cellular companies, their franchises and their customer support center with no public dealing; call centers with 50% staff and no public dealing; banks with only essential staff; takeaway/home delivery from restaurants; welfare organizations providing essential services and free dasterkhwan; media persons authorized by Information Department, newspaper hawkers; and any exemption that may be deemed necessary by the Commissioner of the concerned division.