Covid kills 20 more, infects another 2,549 in Sindh

Twenty more people have died due to Covid-19 and 2,549 others have tested positive for the disease during the past 24 hours in Sindh, with the death toll due to the viral coronavirus infection reaching 6,021 in the province.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said in his daily situation report on the health emergency on Sunday that 18,618 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, resulting in 2,549 people, or 14 per cent of those who were screened, being diagnosed with Covid-19.

The provincial government has so far conducted 5,026,810 tests, which have resulted in 385,397 positive cases, which means that eight per cent of those screened have been found to be infected, he added.

Shah said that after the latest deaths, the rate of the diagnosed people who have lost their fight with Covid-19 stands at two per cent in Sindh.

He said that 46,599 people across the province are currently infected: 45,120 are in self-isolation at home, 39 at isolation centres and 1,440 at hospitals, while 1,266 patients are in critical condition, of whom 100 are on life support.

He added that 368 more people have recovered during the past 24 hours, increasing the number of cured patients to 332,777, which shows the recovery rate to be 86.3 per cent. The CM said that out of the 2,549 fresh cases of Sindh, 1,755 (or 69 per cent) have been reported in Karachi Division: 690 of the city’s new patients are from District East, 331 from District Central, 267 from District Korangi, 208 from District South, 202 from District Malir and 57 from District West.

As for the other districts of the province, Hyderabad has reported 173 new cases, Tharparkar 90, Badin 81, Sanghar 68, Sujawal 58, Thatta 56, Matiari 40, Shaheed Benazirabad 38, Umerkot 33, Naushehroferoze 27, Jamshoro 24, Dadu and Tando Allahyar 18 each, Khairpur 12, Kashmore seven, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur two each, and Ghotki and Jacobabad one each, he added.

The chief executive reiterated his appeal to the people of Sindh that they should comply with the standard operating procedures devised by his provincial government. On Saturday, a day after the Government of Sindh had ordered restrictions to be imposed across Karachi until August 8 to curb the surge of Covid-19 cases, mainly due to the highly transmissible Delta variant, a partial lockdown was observed in the city.

Police officials were seen erecting barricades and setting up checkpoints in different parts of Karachi. Passenger buses were also intercepted, while the traffic situation across the city was disturbed due to the temporary checkpoints set up by the police in different areas.

In some parts of Karachi, law enforcement officials subjected the violators of the government’s Covid standard operating procedures to the Murgha stress position (used as a summary punishment).

In the old city area, police also broke a Matka (earthenware pot) of a pushcart vendor, following which senior police officials took notice of the incident. According to reports, arguments broke out between the police and the citizens in different parts of Karachi after the government lifted the ban on pillion riding in the city.

Following the government’s lockdown orders, the police set up checkpoints on various arteries of the city, including Sharea Faisal, Korangi Road, Hassan Square, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, MA Jinnah Road and II Chundrigar Road, as well as on the highways, including the National Highway, the Super Highway and the link road.

The policemen on duty were observed asking the citizens to wear masks and show their vaccination certificates, while several people were asked to go back home because they failed to prove that they were out due to necessity.

Only groceries, bakeries, milk shops and meat shops were allowed to remain open. However, those who were not allowed to open for business were observed selling their goods with the shutters of their shops open halfway. Passengers in rickshaws, taxis and other vehicles were also let off with warnings.