Pakistan confirmed 44 more deaths from novel coronavirus in one day as the nationwide tally of fatalities jumped to 866 and positive cases surged to 39,729 on Saturday.
At least 14,201 cases have been reported in Punjab, 15,590 in Sindh, 5,847 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,544 in Balochistan, 527 in Gilgit Baltistan, 921 in Islamabad and 108 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir so far. The virus has claimed at least 861 lives while some 10,880 coronavirus patients have also recovered.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Health Department Saturday confirmed nine more cases of coronavirus to raise the region’s tally to 527. Health officials said three more patients recuperated from the mysterious disease in the past 24 hours to bring the total number of recoveries to 348. Out of nine new cases, seven were reported from Ghizer and one each from Astore and Skardu. The number of active cases stands at 175 in the region.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department, in its daily situational report, confirmed 14 more casualties due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours to bring the provincial death toll to 305. Out of 14 deaths, seven were reported from Peshawar, three from Swat, and one each in Lower Dir, Mardan, Kohat and Bajaur. At least 169 new cases – seven from International flights quarantine centre – were also reported, taking the total to 5,847 in the province. Some 86 patients recuperated from the mysterious disease to bring the total number of recoveries to 1,699. The number of active cases stands at 3,843 in the province.
Punjab health authorities reported 287 new cases. The province’s tally currently stands at 14,201. The province’s death toll is 245, while at least 4,757 patients have recovered.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah reported 674 new cases, taking the provincial tally to 15,590. The chief minister said 13 more patients lost their lives, raising Sindh’s death toll to 268, while at least 198 patients recovered. The number of recovered patients in the province stands at 3,804. At least 490 out of the 674 new cases emerged from Karachi, the chief minister said. Some 4,467 tests have been carried out in the last 24 hours.
He said in the past 24 hours, 4,467 tests were conducted and 674 were reported positive. He said that currently there are 11,518 patients under treatment in the province, with 832 being treated at isolation centres. In Karachi, there are 553 patients in hospitals. He said that at the moment, there are 32 patients on ventilators, while 119 are in a critical condition across the province. Providing a breakdown, he said that Karachi has 490 new cases, with 123 in East district, 113 in South, 66 in Central. The Korangi district has 59 cases, while Malir and West have 72 and 57 new infections, respectively, he informed.
Shah said that in Sindh, Hyderabad has 55 cases while Sukkur reported 11 new infections. Khairpur and Qamber Shahdadkot reported six new cases each, said the CM Sindh, adding that Sanghar also has three cases as of Saturday.
Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said that Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has tested negative for the coronavirus. He said the chief minister had gotten himself tested after Finance Minister Zahoor Buledi was confirmed to have the virus recently.
Another policeman of Punjab Police died of coronavirus on Saturday, taking the death toll from the virus in the force to two. According to spokesperson of Lahore Police, Head Constable Ramazan, whose test was conducted on May 11, was receiving treatment at Jinnah Hospital.
Overall eight staffers of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) serving at the NADRA Headquarters in Islamabad have tested positive for coronavirus. All Covid-19 positive employees have been isolated at their homes, according to a NADRA spokesperson. He said that daily 100 employees and officers are undergoing coronavirus tests since the services resumed at NADRA headquarters.
