COVID-19 kills one, 8 educational institutions sealed

Islamabad: As many as 536 new patients have been tested positive for coronavirus illness, COVID-19 from Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district in the last 24 hours showing the outbreak has started hitting population in the region much hard while the district health office ICT has ordered to seal eight educational institutions after reporting of at least 22 COVID-19 cases from their premises.

It is alarming that the positivity rate of COVID-19 has jumped to well over 10 per cent in both the federal capital and Rawalpindi district. In the last 24 hours, the positivity rate from ICT has been recorded as 10.75 per cent while in Rawalpindi, it has turned out to be 10.12 per cent.

Meanwhile, District Health Officer ICT Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia recommended immediate closure of eight educational institutions in the federal capital after reporting of COVID-19 cases from the institutions for a period till further intimation by his office.

The letters issued by his office advised to immediately close down Islamabad Model School for Girls (I-V), Shakrial; Islamabad Model College for Girls, F-6/2; Islamabad Model College for Girls, G-6/1-4; Islamabad Model College for Girls (PG), F-7/4; Islamabad Model College for Girls, G-6/2; Islamabad Model College for Girls, Model Town Humak; Islamabad Model College for Boys, G-10/4 and Islamabad Model School for Boys, I-9/4.

The DHO advised the educational institutions to conduct thorough disinfection activities as per the guidelines issued by Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. According to Dr. Zaeem, 443 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 against 3,843 tests conducted in the federal capital at a positivity rate of 10.75 per cent. He said the district health office is monitoring the situation and the health department’s teams are extremely engaged in COVID-19 activities.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Monday has revealed that the virus has claimed another life from Rawalpindi district in the last 24 hours taking death toll from the region to 2,195 while to date, a total of 148,718 patients belonging to the twin cities have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, after another COVID-19 death from Rawalpindi district in the last 24 hours, the death toll reached 1,226. As many as 93 more patients have been tested positive from Rawalpindi district in the last 24 hours taking tally to 37,312 of which 35,403 patients have recovered.

According to district health department Rawal­pindi, a total of 26 confirmed patients belonging to the district were undergoing treatment at the healthcare facilities in town while 657 patients were in home isolation on Monday.