Pakistan coronavirus death toll mounts to 30

ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE/ KARACHI: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 2,245 on Wednesday after new infections were confirmed in the country, while the death toll stands at 30.

Punjab is the most affected province with 845 cases, followed by Sindh with 709 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 276 cases, Gilgit-Baltistan with 184 cases, Balochistan 164 cases, Islamabad Capital Territory 58 cases and Azad Jammu and Kashmir nine cases, Geo News reported.

So far, 30 deaths have been reported from the disease in Pakistan. Punjab reported 10 deaths, Sindh reported nine deaths, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported eight, Gilgit-Baltistan reported two deaths, while Balochistan has so far reported one death.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has reported that the province has a total of 845 cases now. As many as 80 new patients of Covid-9 have been confirmed in the Raiwind area alone -- the highest tally of 137 new patients recorded in a single day --- along with two deaths in Punjab, here on Wednesday.The number of cases in Raiwind jumped to 107 on Wednesday from Tuesday’s 27, as the victims are believed to be among the participants in the annual Tableeghi moot, now quarantined in Raiwind, following a spike in the cases in Punjab.

The virus death toll has reached the double figure in Punjab with two more fatalities on Wednesday. Two more patients died in Punjab, including a 35-year-old woman, Asma Imran, in Lahore’s Mayo Hospital and Karam Dad, 83, succumbed to the virus in Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi, which brought the total number of fatalities to 11 in Punjab.

The female patient in the Mayo was carrying co-morbidity of liver cirrhosis, while the elderly man had recently returned from England. Of 11 fatalities in Punjab, five deaths occurred in Lahore, four in Rawalpindi and one each in Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan. As many as five patients have recovered from the disease so far.

One nurse performing duty at the Isolation Ward of Mayo Hospital was among seven new cases in Lahore. As per Corona Monitoring Room at Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, a total of 309 corona patients, who were amongst pilgrims recently returned from Iran, are under treatment at quarantine facilities, including 213 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 91 in Multan and five in Faisalabad, while 107 confirmed patients, who belong to Tableeghi moot, were quarantined in Raiwind.

As many as 178 patients were under treatment in Lahore, 90 in Gujrat, 51 in Rawalpindi, 28 in Jhelum, 13 each in the Nankana Sahib and Gujranwala, 10 in Sargodha, nine in Faisalabad, five each in DG Khan and Hafizabad, four in Mandi Bahauddin, three each in Mianwali, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan, two each in Multan, Vehari, Lodhran and Narowal and one each in Attock, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Kasur, Layyah and Khushab.

According to a P&SH spokesperson, as many as 16,061 suspected patients had been tested in Punjab so far. He said that all patients were getting treatment at Isolation Wards, while serious patients have been shifted to High Dependency Units (HDUs). He urged people to stay indoors, frequently wash hands, use hand sanitizer, observe social distancing and take precautionary measures while attending sick family members.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that the fatalities are few in number, saying each life was precious. She said protection is the best way to avoid the disease. “It's a new virus, so do not trust myths and trials for treatment and precaution,” she added.

A female coronavirus suspect died in the Nishtar Hospital while the result of her reports was being awaited.

According to hospital sources, a 27-year-old woman of Khanewal was admitted to the Isolation Ward of the hospital. Her sample was sent to the laboratory but she died before the test result. Her body would be released after receiving her screening report.

A virus suspected patient died in Nowshera Virkan. All his family members have been quarantined at home by the district administration.

It was reported that Muhammad Saeed, 60, a member of Tableeghi Jamaat, was shifted to THQ hospital where he died. The hospital staff had declared him as a suspected patient of corona. His body has been handed over to local police.

Later, the deceased was buried under the supervision of police and army personnel. The district administration has declared the deceased house as quarantine and all the family members would remain in the house till the receipt of their corona test reports.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa focal person on COVID-19, Zain Raza said that 19 more people have recovered from the coronavirus in the province, taking the total recoveries to 29.Two more deaths were also reported in the last 24 hours. The province's total number of cases stand at 276.

The Balochistan health department has said it has "surrendered" five officers for their unwillingness "to work in (an) emergency situation" and four health workers "on ground of misconduct" as the province battles the coronavirus outbreak.

According to government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani, the number of people infected with the virus in Balochistan are 164. So far, 19 recoveries have been made and there has been one death.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho confirmed another death from coronavirus, bumping the provincial death toll to nine.

The 59-year-old patient was a resident of Karachi and was brought to the hospital on March 19 after his return from Saudi Arabia. The patient had a history of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and was on a ventilator since the first day.

According to an update by the Sindh Health Department, the number of coronavirus cases in the province now stands at 709. In a single day, Karachi has seen 33 new cases emerge.

Meanwhile, three patients are reported to have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 55 in Sindh. Currently, 307 are being treated for the disease. So far 6, 948 tests have been carried out. So far, six deaths have occurred from the disease.