ISLAMABAD: The widespread misperception among the general public that coronavirus is not something to be taken seriously is contributing towards the spread of the pandemic in a big way leading to more infections and deaths and straining the state kitty.
On Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases and fatalities in the country rose to 45,776 and 986 respectively after new infections and deaths were reported.
Of the total 45,776 confirmed cases, Sindh reported 17,947 cases, Punjab 16,685, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6,554, Balochistan 2,885, Islamabad Capital Territory 1,034, Gilgit-Baltistan 556, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 115 as of 11:50pm.
Of 986 deaths, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 345 deaths, Sindh 299, Punjab 290, Balochistan 38, Gilgit-Baltistan 4, Islamabad Capital Territory 9, and AJK 1.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Tuesday said coronavirus had claimed 19 more lives, while 706 new positive cases had been detected during the last 24 hours in the province. Nineteen deaths was the highest number since the first death was reported in the province on March 19, raising the tally to 299, which constituted 1.6 percent of the total patients, he said in a statement issued by the CM House.
Murad Ali Shah said that for the last two months, on average "we have been taking more than five bodies per day. Though the death ratio stands at 1.6 percent of the total patients yet we have taken 299 bodes with 61 days, which is quite painful.
The chief minister said at present 135 patients were in critical condition, while 34 of them were on the ventilator. “May Allah help them to recover at the earliest,” he said.
He said 706 new patients were detected when 3,803 samples were tested during the last 24 hours.
Talking about Karachi, Murad Ali Shah said out of 706 new cases, 558 belonged to Karachi. They included 134 from South, 131 from East, 105 from Central, 72 from West, 58 from Malir, and 58 from Korangi.
According to the chief minister, three flights from Washington, Muscat, and Jeddah had brought in 792 stranded Pakistanis to Karachi on May 14, 15 and 16 respectively.
They all were tested and 60 of them tested positive, while the results of 17 passengers were awaited. He urged the people to follow the SOPS and avoid going out of home without any solid reason.
Meanwhile, Peshawar, the provincial metropolis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is on top of list of victims where 200 deaths have been reported so far out of a total of 345 deaths in the province.
According to data released by the KP Health Department, on Monday (May 18), 12 deaths were reported in Peshawar, taking the death toll to 200.
Health experts have urged people to take care and fully adopt precautionary measures against the deadly pandemic.
Meanwhile, in Azad Jammu Kashmir, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased to 133 on Tuesday. At the same time, the blood samples of new 152 suspects were tested across the state.
In a statement, the state health services authorities confirmed the registration of 19 new cases, which include 18 from Muzaffarabad and one from Rawalakot districts.
According to the health authorities, a total of 4,242 suspected cases were sent for test, of whom the results of 4,090 had been received with 133 positive cases.
In Rawalpindi, though no new positive case was reported on Tuesday, the number of suspected cases keeps escalating.
District focal person for COVID-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi confirmed that the number of suspect cases had reached 1,882, which was 1,854 on Monday, while samples of as many as 100 more persons were collected on Tuesday and sent for testing.
He said the results of 239 persons were awaited, while 18 patients were under treatment at various health centers.