A day after Prime Minister Imran Khan announced to ease lockdown restrictions in the country, around 2,000 new cases were recorded along with at least 20 fatalities on Friday. This was the highest jump recorded in a single day so far.
The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients jumped to 26,955, with 10,033 cases reported in Punjab, 9,691 in Sindh, 4,327 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,873 in Balochistan, 394 in Gilgit Baltistan, 558 in Islamabad and 79 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has claimed at least 611 lives while some 7,530 coronavirus patients have recovered so far.
The Punjab Health Department, in its daily situational report, confirmed 961 new cases of Covid-19 to bring the provincial tally to 10,033. The virus has claimed 183 lives while 4,062 patients have recovered in the province so far.
Another 151 coronavirus cases were reported in Balochistan, according to the provincial health department. However, due to discrepancies in the number of the cases reported, the new total is 1,873. The statement from the health department added that 222 patients have recovered from the disease while 13,771 tests have been conducted so far.
At least 371 new cases (12 Torkham, 65 international flight quarantine centers) were confirmed in KP on Friday, taking the total to 4,327. At least 12 new deaths were reported (5 Peshawar, 5 Swat, 1 Swabi, 1 Dir Lower), taking the total to 221. Some 49 more patients recovered, taking the tally to 1,033. The active cases in the province stood at 3,073.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that 598 cases had emerged in the province over the past 24 hours. Five additional deaths were also reported. The total number of cases in the province is 9,691, while death toll is 176. Sindh conducted 5,532 tests on Friday.
At least 115 officials have become infected with the coronavirus, according to the Sindh police spokesperson. In a statement, he said that two officials have died while performing duties to curb the spread of the virus. He said 97 officials are currently being treated for the respiratory illness. “Fifteen officials have returned home after recovering from Covid-19,” he added.
Faisal Edhi, son of world-famous philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and chairman of the Edhi Foundation, returned to work after testing negative for the coronavirus a second time, according to a statement released by the foundation.
Edhi had tested positive for the virus on April 21, and had gone into isolation.
Another coronavirus patient passed away at Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) in Hyderabad, taking the total number of deaths reported in the city to seven. According to LUH coronavirus isolation ward focal person Dr Aftab Hussain Phull, the 45-year-old patient was brought to the facility a few days ago after he threw up blood. “He had tested positive for the virus a few days back,” he said, adding that the patient had a history with drug addiction.
A doctor and a patient admitted in the gynaecology ward at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) tested positive for coronavirus on Friday. The patient had been admitted to the ward five days ago and was screened for Covid-19 on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the doctor was directed to quarantine herself at her apartment in the JMPC hostel, where she lives with three other doctors.
Over 12 people, including six gynaecologists, have reportedly been infected with coronavirus at JPMC so far, while the family members of one of the doctors was also affected. However, JPMC obstetrics and gynaecology chief Dr Khadija Bano claimed that only one doctor in the department has tested positive for the virus so far. She further said that coronavirus screening tests had been made mandatory for patients being admitted to the gynaecology department for surgery.
One more person infected with the novel coronavirus in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), taking the region’s tally to 79. According to health authorities, no casualty due to Covid-19 has been reported in AJK.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. The top IHC judge took a Covid-19 test after his secretary Asad Khokhar was diagnosed with the deadly virus. The secretary went into isolation with his office sealed after his test turned out to be positive.
The Islamabad High Court was closed last week after an employee tested positive for the infection. The high court building was vacated and disinfectant spray was conducted. A limited number of staffers were directed to come to the court to avert spread of the Covid-19.
The tests have been started for the employees of Punjab Institute of Neuro Sciences. In the first phase, tests were conducted of 50 employees of PINS, out of which two persons were got positive.
