Ag Agencies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday recorded 118 coronavirus deaths, the country’s largest increase in fatalities since the end of June last year, with nearly two-thirds of the victims coming from Punjab, which has so far borne the brunt of the third wave of Covid-19.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), active infections leapt to 76,034 after 4,318 more people tested positive in the 24 hours leading to Tuesday.
Covid-related deaths were the highest since June 30, 2020, on which 118 people also died. As of Tuesday, most of the fatalities occurred in Punjab, which accounted for 74 of the 118 coronavirus victims.
Some 5,024 patients were admitted in hospitals across the country, with around a tenth of them on ventilators. Gujranwala was leading in the country in terms of vents occupancy, at 88 per cent, followed by Multan, 81 per cent, Lahore, 80 per cent and Islamabad, 52 per cent.
Gujranwala was leading in the oxygen beds metric as well, with 85 per cent of its beds in use, followed by Charsadda, 77 per cent, Swabi, 76 per cent and Peshawar, 74 per cent. A total of 729,920 cases were detected so far, while the death toll was 15,619.
Meanwhile, NCOC chief Asad Umar said at a news conference that so far over 1.3 million people had been so vaccinated across the country, at a rate of 60-70,000 doses daily. “It is our effort to enhance it to 150-200,000 after Eidul Fitr,” Umar said.
The minister said 900,000 vaccines were still in stock as of Monday night. Umar said if the country received vaccines as per commitments, vaccinations would be opened for all Pakistanis after Eid. He once again urged people to fully comply with health guidelines to avoid the spread of the virus.
