COVID-19 claims 58 more lives, infects 4,584

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The national tally on Monday of total active COVID-19 cases recorded 75,266 with 4,584 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 3,135 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.

Fifty eight corona patients have died during past 24 hours, 55 of whom were under treatment in hospital and three out of the hospital in their respective quarantines or homes, according to the latest update issued by the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

During the last 24 hours most of the deaths had occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed by the Punjab. Out of the total 58 deaths occurred during last 24 hours, 12 of the deceased had died on ventilators during their treatment. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Multan 81 percent, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 55 percent, Gujranwala 88 percent and Lahore 79 percent.

The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID patient) was also occupied in four major areas of Swat 66 percent, Gujranwala 85 percent, Peshawar 73 percent and Gujrat 71 percent. Around 512 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no COVID affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan.

Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 725,602 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment COVID-19 patients so far, including AJK 14,594, Balochistan 20,321, GB 5,127, ICT 66,380, KP 99,595, Punjab 250,459 and Sindh 269,126. About 15,501 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan Monday said that the COVID-19 case positivity ratio has become doubled in the past few days reaching 10% in the country. He said that 5% use of mask is not being observed which is becoming cause of spread of pandemic.

In a media briefing, Dr Faisal said that the case positivity ratio was also high in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir while over 4,000 corona patients were admitted to intensive care units of various hospitals.

He said that even in peak time the figure of corona patients in ICU was around 3,000 which shows the increasing trend of the disease and its complications in its third wave. He added this disease expansion had caused a burden on the country’s health system.

He said that COVID-19 cases were jumping up for the past few weeks and it was observed that citizens were not following corona Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) properly since the start of April.

He also appealed to the religious scholars to play their role in educating people during the holy month of Ramazan for adopting special preventive measures as only 50% of corona SOPs observance was noted due to which there was immense pressure on healthcare workers. He said that many hotels and restaurants were violating the corona SOPs besides public transports while citizens were avoiding to use face masks, which is quite alarming.

Dr Faisal said that the government was seeking full cooperation of the citizens in adhering to the SOPs. “We can save precious lives including those of our near and dear ones by taking preventive measures.” He asked the citizens to wear a mask, maintain social distance, wash hands with soap frequently and avoid crowded places. He asked the citizens above 50 years to register for corona vaccination to protect themselves as well as their loved ones.

He said that senior citizens walk-in registration was introduced for above 70 years of age citizens and now they can visit for vaccination from all listed vaccination centers.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday has asked religious scholars to urge people to wear face masks and get vaccinated against coronavirus.

Usman Buzdar, in a statement, has asked religious leaders to play their roles in these testing times of coronavirus pandemic. Recent wave of the virus has increased pressure on health system but implementation of SOPs is not satisfactory, he added.

The chief minister said the protection of lives is duty of everyone and urged people to wear face masks and maintain social distancing to save precious human lives.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that those markets which do not follow SOPs will be shut down. She said the health department is witnessing an alarming rise in the number of critically-ill patients and sudden rise of admissions to the ICUs.

Chairing a meeting at Chief Minister’s Secretariat to review the situation of the coronavirus pandemic in the wake of alarming rise in number of patients at the ICUs, Dr Rashid said overall the number of positive cases was getting very high currently. She said the Punjab government had set a target of 20,000 vaccinations per day. She also said that the SOPs for Ramazan had been released.