Corona toll in Pakistan mounts to 117

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/ LAHORE/KARACHI: The coronavirus death toll in Pakistan reached 117 on Wednesday evening, while confirmed infections have reached 6,300.

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza stated in a televised briefing that the death toll is markedly below the April 15 prediction that placed mortalities at 216.

“However, there can be an increase in deaths, given that 44 patients are currently on life support,” he pointed out, hoping that they too add up to the league of over 1,500 patients who have achieved complete recovery.

Dr. Zafar said local transmission has become predominant as 54% of the confirmed coronavirus cases are now indigenous. The SAPM officially confirmed 5,988 positive cases across Pakistan. The SAPM added that of the 16,387 people who are currently in quarantines, 3,047 (14 percent) are positive.

Dr. Zafar urged employers and contractors to download the social distancing guidelines available on the Ministry of Health website, and to implement the outlined precautions in their respective settings. “The government has opened up relatively low-risk industries. This should be seen as a conditional softening of the lockdown, wherein employers will be responsible for the safety of their workers, and will be held accountable in case of failure to promote safe practices in their workplaces,” he stated.

according to latest reports, out of total confirmed 6,300 cases, Sindh has reported 1,668 cases, Punjab 3,016, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 912, Balochistan 281, Islamabad Capital Territory 140, Gilgit-Baltistan 237 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir reported 46 cases.

Out of total 117 deaths, KP has reported 42 deaths, Sindh 41, Balochistan two, Gilgit-Baltistan three, Punjab 28 and Islamabad Capital Territory has reported one death. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has reported four more deaths, taking the grim total to 42. A surge in the number of cases was also reported, taking the tally to 912.

With an addition of 13 more recoveries, so far 191 have recovered in the province.

In Swabi, five members of the Tableeghi Jamaat belonging to foreign countries have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said on Wednesday.

The total number of the positive cases in the district has reached 15. Five patients have recovered while one person passed away three days back.

The first case in Swabi district was reported in Bada village, Gadoon Amazai, on March 26.

The officials said the total number of the Tableeghi Jamaat members was 43 who were quarantined at Masjid Al-Qasim, Tableeghi Markaz in Topi tehsil. The district administration deputed security personnel at the markaz to monitor their activities.

Deputy Commissioner, Swabi, Shahid Mahmood said that the report was received from the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. He said that it showed that five members of the Tableeghi Jamaat had tested positive.

They have been shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Chota Lahor.

In Bajaur, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached nine after one of the suspected patients reported positive for the coronavirus test in Khar tehsil of Bajaur district on Wednesday.

The result of a suspected patient identified as Shamraiz Khan, a resident of a residential colony near District Headquarters Hospital, Khar, was declared positive hence he was shifted to the isolation ward established for coronavirus infected patients. The infected patient has recently returned to his home after spending some time in Tableeghi Jamaat in different areas.

Another COVID-19 patient died in Ali Baig area in Nowshera on Wednesday, raising the tally of causalities from the fatal viral infection to four since the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Eighty-six-year-old Safeer Khan of Ali Baig area in Nowshera district, was admitted to the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, in a serious condition.

According to Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan, District Health Officer Dr Gulman Shah and Corona Control Centre In-charge Dr Niaz, the Safeer Khan was suffering from fever and cough from the last several days. The novel coronavirus has spread in jails in five districts of Punjab as at least 91 jail inmates have got infected with the virus so far in Punjab.

Out of 91 COVID-19 patients in prisons across Punjab, a total of 59 prisoners are infected in Camp Jail in Lahore, 14 in Sialkot, nine in DG Khan, seven in Gujranwala and two in Bhakkar.

On Wednesday, 71 new COVID-19 patients were confirmed from across Punjab, which brought the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus to 3,016. As no fatality was reported on Wednesday, the death toll due to coronavirus remained 28 in Punjab that included 12 from Lahore, seven from Rawalpindi, three from Multan, two from Rahim Yar Khan and one each from Bahawalpur, Jhelum, Faisalabad and Gujrat.

As per spokesperson of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, 12 COVID-19 patients are in a critical condition. More than 500 patients have so far recovered from coronavirus. They have been discharged after testing negative for the virus.

Out of total confirmed COVID-19 patients, 1,091 are preachers of Tableeghi Jamaat, 701 pilgrims who recently returned from Iran, 91 prisoners in five districts and 1,133 citizens who either had travel history or fell victim to local transmission.

Of the 1,091 confirmed COVID-19 preachers, 484 are at a quarantine centre at Raiwind, 105 in Multan, 61 in Bhakar, 52 in Muzaffargarh, 45 in Rahim Yar Khan, 41 in Jhelum, 37 in Vehari, 35 each in Hafizabad and Sargodha, 27 in Layyah, 19 in Sialkot, 17 in Mandi Bahauddin, 16 in Rawalpindi, 15 in Narowal, 13 in Bahawalnagar, 12 in Sheikhupura, 10 in Gujrat, nine in Rajanpur, eight in Faisalabad, seven each in Mianwali and Sahiwal, two each in Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala and Khushab.

Out of 701 confirmed patients from amongst pilgrims, 457 are at a quarantine centre in Multan, 221 in Dera Ghazi Khan and 23 in Faisalabad.

So far 1,133 citizens have been tested positive for the virus from across the province. These people either have a travel history or they got infected through local transmission. The highest number of cases has been reported from Lahore where 477 patients are under treatment at different centres.

As many as 139 patients are under treatment in Gujrat, 118 in Rawalpindi, 50 in Gujranwala, 42 in Rahim Yar Khan, 35 each in Vehari and Faisalabad, 33 in Jhelum, 31 in Sialkot, 23 in Multan, 19 in DG Khan, 17 in Nankana Sahib, 14 in Sargodha, 12 in Hafizabad, 11 in Mandi Bahauddin and Mianwali, 10 in Sheikhupura, nine in Kasur, eight each in Narowal and Chiniot, six in Bahawalpur, five in Bahawalnagar, four each in Chakwal and Khushab, three in Lodhran, two each in Toba Tek Singh and Khanewal and one each in Attock, Pakpattan, Layyah, Okara and Jhang.

As per the spokesperson, serious patients are under treatment at High Dependency Units and those with normal or mild symptoms are at quarantine centres and isolation wards of public sector hospitals. He urged people to stay at home, frequently wash hands and use hand sanitizer. He advised social distancing and adopting precautionary measures while attending sick family members.

Alarmed over growing number of ‘dead on arrival’ cases at hospitals, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said he was very concerned that several COVID-19 cases were not being reported and added that 150 new Coronavirus cases were detected in last 24 hours of whom 45 patients were critical. Shah went on to add that six more people lost their lives in the province including five in Karachi alone.

“This is why the government has extended lockdown by another 14 days which we were are going to tighten further to save people from the virus,” Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said while addressing a press conference here at the Sindh Assembly building.