The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients jumped to 36,801 on Thursday, with 13,561 cases reported in Punjab, 14,099 in Sindh, 5,423 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,310 in Balochistan, 482 in Gilgit Baltistan, 822 in Islamabad and 104 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir so far. The virus has claimed at least 791 lives while some 9,695 coronavirus patients have recovered.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah Thursday said 758 new cases of coronavirus have been detected by testing 4,487 samples, which shows 17 percent of the tests coming positive, while nine more patients died, lifting the death toll to 243. In a statement, the chief minister said that 4,487 tests were conducted in last 24 hours of which 17 percent, or 758, new cases have been diagnosed, while so far 107,827 samples have been tested, with 14,099 cases or 13.1 percent of the total tests coming positive.
Shah said nine more patients lost their lives and now the death toll has jumped to 243 or 1.7 percent of the total patients. He said at present 10,783 patients are under treatment, of which 9,307 are in home isolation, 915 at Isolation centres and 561 at different hospitals. He said 105 patients are in a critical condition, including 37 on ventilators. He said that 238 patients have recovered and discharged.
As many as 170 Sindh Police personnel have so far been infected with the novel coronavirus, a press release issued by the police said. Out of the total, four personnel have died of Covid-19 while 31 have recovered. The Sindh Police chief has issued an additional amount of Rs 100,000 for each of the provincial districts and the traffic police which will be used for the emergency support of Covid-19 positive personnel, the statement said. Separately, an amount of Rs 10,000 is being released to every infected personnel to help their family.
A patient in Hyderabad who was administered plasma therapy at Liaquat University Hospital’s isolation ward has tested negative for the disease. “The patient will be tested again according to standard operating procedures. If his second test also comes back negative, he will be discharged from the hospital as being cured of the virus,” Dr Aftab Hussain Phull, LUH’s focal person for the coronavirus isolation ward, said.
Three journalists who cover the National Assembly proceedings in Islamabad have tested positive for the coronavirus. These journalists were tested before this week’s parliamentary sessions.
Another 71 Covid-19 cases were reported in Balochistan on Thursday, according to the provincial health department’s daily report, taking the total to 2,310. Further, three more deaths have also been reported, taking the provincial tally to 30.
The total number of virus-infected patients has reached 104 as 10 members of two different families tested positive for Covid-19 in Muzaffarabad, a spokesperson for Azad Jammu and Kashmir government confirmed on Thursday.
Punjab health authorities reported 336 new cases, raising the provincial tally to 13,561. The province’s death toll stands at 223, while at least 4,636 patients have recovered. Some 145,577 tests have been carried out in the province so far.
At least 171 new cases reported taking the total confirmed cases to 5,423 in KP. Nine new deaths were also reported, taking the total to 284.
