105 more lose battle against COVID-19

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: As many as 105 more people lost their battle against coronavirus as the national tally of active cases reached 69,811 with 5,312 more testing positive and 2,390 recovering in the last 24 hours.

Ninety-eight of the people who died in the past 24 hours were under treatment in hospitals, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

Most of these deaths occurred in Punjab followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 33 dying on ventilators during treatment.

The maximum number of ventilators were occupied in Multan (81%), Bahawalpur (68%), Gujranwala (88%) and Lahore (79%).

The maximum number of Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilators administered as per medical requirement of COVID-19 patients) were occupied in Rawalpindi (64%), Gujranwala (85%), Peshawar (84%) and Gujrat (80%).

Around 509 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country, while no COVID-19 affected person was on ventilator in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan.

Around 54,948 tests were conducted across the country on Thursday, including 9,392 in Sindh, 25,871 in Punjab, 8,090 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 8,711 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 1,257 in Balochistan, 467 in GB and 1,160 in AJK.

Around 625,789 people have recovered so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio.

Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 710,829 cases have been detected that also include the perished, recovered and under treatment patients so far including 14,069 in AJK, 20,097 in Balochistan, 5,097 in GB, 64,173 in ICT, 96,128 in KP, 243,295 in Punjab and 267,970 in Sindh. About 15,229 deaths have been recorded in the country since the eruption of the contagion.

Around 4,521 have perished in Sindh, 6,851 in Punjab (58 in last 24 hours), 2,553 in KP (33 in last 24 hours), 597 in ICT (6 in last 24 hours), 213 in Balochistan (1 in last 24 hours), 103 in GB and 391 in AJK (5 in last 24 hours).

A total of 10,639,825 coronavirus tests have been conducted so far in the country.

Meanwhile, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar Friday visited the vaccination camps in Maira Sumbal Jafar and reviewed process in administration of vaccine being injected to the citizens above 65 years of age. The minister listened to the camp staff and praised the National Institute of Health (NIH) team and Islamabad administration for arranging the best vaccination facilities.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Transport and Mass Transit Department Friday banned interprovincial public transport for two days a week.

The interprovincial public transport won’t be allowed to move in the province on Saturdays and Sundays.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh’s Transport and Mass Transit Department, the ban has been placed to save the general public from COVID-19.

“The government of Sindh imposed a ban on interprovincial public transport for two days, therefore, Saturday and Sunday every week, with effect from, midnight on Friday April 9 till midnight on April 15.”

The goods, fright, medical and other emergency services, according to the notification, will be exempted. The notification said that the Sindh government’s Transport and Mass Transit Department time to time issues guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of COVID-19 for prevention of passengers, travelers of intercity or intra city transport as well as bus stands for strict implementation.

“It is therefore, requested to ensure strict implementation on two days ban [Saturday and Sunday] on inter provincial public transport in Sindh for the prevention of general public from the COVID-19 pandemic disease within your jurisdiction in letter and spirit in the best interest of public.”