7 COVID-19 deaths, situation alarming

Rawalpindi: As many as seven more patients suffering from coronavirus illness, COVID-19 from Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district have died of the illness taking death toll from the region to 1,169 while another 297 patients have been tested positive from the twin cities in the last 24 hours hinting that the outbreak has got much intense in terms of both morbidity and mortality in this region of the country.

It is alarming that the average number of patients being tested positive per day from the region has crossed the figure of 253 in the last one week that had dropped down to below 80 in January, before reopening of educational institutions.

In the last one week, as many as 1,776 new patients have been reported from the twin cities along with 33 COVID-19 deaths and many educational institutions, in ICT have been sealed after appearance of confirmed cases from their premises.

District Health Officer ICT Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia has recommended immediate closure of another four educational institutions after reporting of COVID-19 cases from their campus premises.

The letter issued by his office on Monday advised to immediately close down Beaconhouse Newlands Hill View Road Bani Gala Campus and on Tuesday, the DHO advised immediate closure of Beaconhouse Metropolitan Campus located in Street 100, Sector G-11/3 for a period till further intimation by his office.

On Tuesday, Dr, Zaeem also advised immediate closure of Islamabad College for Girls (ICG) in Sector F-6/2 and Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) in Sector I-9/1 in the federal capital for a period till further intimation by his office.

It is worth mentioning that before reopening of educational institutions, the positivity rate from the federal capital had dropped down to below 1.5 per cent, in January while in the last week, the positivity turned out to be 4.18 per cent.