Pakistan ranks 19th as cases surge: Corona infects 30,428 across country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan ranked 19th in the global coronavirus ranking on Sunday after the nationwide tally of confirmed patients reached 30,428. According to the coronavirus tracker by John Hopkins University, the country is now ranked 27th with 659 deaths.

Pakistan’s position in the global ranking dropped from 24th to 22nd last Friday after the number of positive cases increased to 26,806 with addition of 1,791 new cases.

With the addition of 1,991 new cases on Sunday, the number of confirmed cases rose to 30,346. This was the biggest single-day jump since February 26 when the first case was reported.

Sindh leads the tally with 11,480 cases, followed by Punjab with 11,093, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4,669, Balochistan 1,935, Gilgit Baltistan 442, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 641 and AJK 86.

In the last 24 hours, 13,341 tests were conducted of which 1,991 came back positive. In total, 283,517 tests have been conducted in the country so far. Meanwhile, 267 patients have recovered, taking the total number of recoveries in the country to 8,023.

Of 659 deaths, KP reported 245, Sindh 189, Balochistan 24, Gilgit-Baltistan 4, Punjab 192, and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 5. Meanwhile, death toll in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sunday reached 245, as 11 more patients died of the deadly virus that also infected 160 people on Sunday, raising the total number of positive cases in the province to 4,669.

Of the 11 people died on Sunday, eight of them belonged to Peshawar. With the latest eight fatalities, the number of total deaths caused by coronavirus has risen to 149 in Peshawar. In addition, Peshawar, which is stated to be the most affected place anywhere in the country from coronavirus, has recorded 81 more positive cases.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Peshawar alone had reported 1891 positive cases of COVID-19, the highest number in any city of the province and the country, according to health experts. Besides Peshawar, other districts including Mardan, Swat and Battagram lost one each person from coronavirus on Sunday.

Peshawar Division- Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Khyber and Mohmand districts- has so proved the most affected from coronavirus. It has lost 161 lives and recorded 2147 positive cases since outbreak of the infectious disease in the province.

After Peshawar, Nowshera with six fatalities and 105 positive cases is the second most affected district in the Peshawar Division. Third is Charsadda with four officially confirmed human losses and 84 positive cases. Second is the Malakand Division with 40 fatalities and 1132 infected people in KP. Then Swat is leading with 16 human losses and 351 positive cases of coronavirus in the Malakand Division.

Unofficial figures are, however, higher not only in the Malakand Division but elsewhere in KP, with most of the people avoid taking patients to hospitals, fearing that the government would then put them in the corona patients and stop them from traditional funeral.

As of May 10, 2020, the case fatality rate in Pakistan was 2.16 as compared to Saturday's 2.24, of confirmed cases 29,465 that is 1991 new confirmed cases, and 639 deaths, that is 21 new fatalities.

The case fatality rate in KP was again higher 5.24 as compared to Saturday's 5.18, the most in the country. KP has recorded 4,669 cases with 160 new confirmed cases, and 245 deaths that is 11 new deaths, which is still the most in the country.

And the case fatality rate in Peshawar is as higher as 7.88 as compared to Saturday's 7.79, the most in any city of Pakistan, with confirmed cases, 1891 that is 81 new confirmed cases, and 149 that is eight new deaths which is still the most in the province.

The case fatality rate has decreased in Pakistan compared to Saturday's figures but it has alarmingly increased in KP and Peshawar compared to Saturday's 21 deaths has been reported in last 24 hours in Pakistan and 11 of them are from KP which means KP has contributed 52 per cent of the deaths occurred in the country in last 24 hours, whereas Peshawar alone has contributed eight deaths among the overall deaths occurred in the country in last 24 hours.

It meant Peshawar alone has contributed 38 percent of the deaths during last 24 hours, so the situation is particularly very bleak and worse in KP in general and Peshawar in particular.

Meanwhile, five staff of the Chief Minister House, Sindh — including Murad Ali Shah's assistant — have tested positive.

The CM House staff had been tested for coronavirus after Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah's special assistant Rashid Rabbani contracted the infection.

A clerk, a driver, and a technician employed at the CM House are among those who have been diagnosed with the disease. Sources told Geo News that the employees who tested positive for COVID-19 have been isolated.

The news broke a few hours after Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah said in a video message that more than 1,000 coronavirus cases had been reported across the province over the past 24 hours.

CM Shah said 5,498 tests were conducted out of which the results of 20% or more patients than 1,000 came back positive. He said that the tally of confirmed cases across the province stood at 11, 480 and four deaths were recorded. The chief minister further said that the number of deceased due to the coronavirus have reached 180 so far. He said 246 positive cases were reported from Khairpur’s Pir Jo Goth, following which strict lockdown measures have been ordered in the area.