3 COVID-19 deaths, 787 new cases reported in twin cities

Islamabad : As many as 787 new patients have been tested positive for coronavirus illness, COVID-19 in the last 24 hours from Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district that is the highest number of cases reported in a day from the twin cities after April 23.

The virus has claimed another three lives from the twin cities taking death toll from the region to 1878 while to date, a total of 121,303 patients belonging to the twin cities have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

On Thursday, District Health Officer ICT Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia recommended immediate closure of five educational institutions in the federal capital after reporting of as many as 33 COVID-19 cases on contact tracing from the institutions.

The letters issued by his office advised to immediately close down Islamabad Model College for Girls in Street 25, Sector F-6/2 from where eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been reported on contact tracing and Islamabad Model School in Sector G-6/1-2 from where seven cases were reported.

The DHO also advised immediate closure of Ali Trust College at Lehtrar Road from where 14 cases were confirmed positive along with Islamabad Model School in Sector G-7/1 from where two cases were reported on contact tracing. Dr. Zaeem also recommended closure of Islamabad Model School in Sector G-7/2 after reporting of two COVID-19 cases from the institution.

The DHO directed to immediately close down premises of the five educational institutions on Thursday for a period till further intimation by his office. He directed the educational institutions to conduct thorough disinfection activities and perform COVID-19 testing of all exposed students and staff. Adherence to the SOPs must be ensured and all the close contacts of the cases must be quarantined for a period of 14 days, instructed the DHO.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Thursday has revealed that the virus claimed two more lives from ICT in the last 24 hours taking death toll from the federal capital to 824. The total number of patients so far tested positive from the federal capital reached 92,233 after confirmation of 561 cases in the last 24 hours. To date, a total of 86,597 patients from ICT have recovered while the number of active cases of the disease has got to 4,812 after addition of 559 active cases to the existing pool.

Meanwhile, after another COVID-19 death from Rawalpindi district in the last 24 hours, the death toll reached 1,054. As many as 226 more patients have been tested positive from Rawalpindi district in the last 24 hours taking tally to 29,070 of which 25,964 patients have recovered.

According to district health department Rawalpindi, a total of 106 confirmed patients belonging to the district were undergoing treatment at the healthcare facilities in town while 1,946 patients were in home isolation on Thursday.