Pakistan’s daily virus deaths see sharp uptick

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday reported 74 coronavirus-related deaths in a 24-hour-period—its largest single-day fatalities since New Year’s Day—as the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) decided to open up the remaining educational institutions from next month.

According to the NCOC, after a meeting with stakeholders, it arrived at a consensus to open up remaining educational institutions—particularly primary, middle and universities from February 1. However, students of educational institutions in Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore and Peshawar would attend classes in 50 per cent strength on alternate days.

The NCOC’s morning session was chaired by Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar with NCOC National Coordinator Lt-Gen Hamood Uz Zaman Khan. Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mahmood also attended the meeting, whereas the provincial health minister of Sindh and chief secretaries of all federating units joined the meeting through video link.

The forum decided to open education sector after a hiatus with recommendations of “staggered classes for three days a week in the urban centres with higher positivity. However, universities would open as usual as per the schedule with a “lower population density”.

The forum was told that globally disease trend had boomed after complete opening of education sector whereas a staggered approach would help in reducing the contagion’s resurgence risk.

The forum was also informed that vaccination centres had been established all across the country while staff trainings and other arrangements were completed to kick start inoculation when a Covid-19 vaccine is available.

The development comes as active infections stood at 33,820 after 1,563 more people tested positive and 2,081 people recovered in the 24 hours leading to Wednesday. Of the day’s 74 victims, 63 died in hospitals — 40 of whom were on ventilators.

At least 2,644 patients were admitted in hospitals across the country — 299 on ventilators. Islamabad was leading the country in terms of ventilators with 36 per cent, followed by Lahore 35 per cent, Multan 32 per cent and Peshawar 29 per cent.

Peshawar, however, was leading in oxygen beds occupancy at 44 per cent, followed by Karachi 36 per cent, Multan 33 per cent, and Rawalpindi 23 per cent.

Some 41,285 tests were conducted across the country in the same period — 11,083 in Sindh, 16,704 in Punjab, 6,537 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 5,994 in Islamabad, 373 in Balochistan, 323 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 271 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

A total of 537,477 cases were detected since the pandemic began, 492,207 of which have recovered. The death toll stands at 11,450.