The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Friday said there was a consecutive fifth day decline in positive cases ratio after witnessing rise in number of positive cases for three weeks.
The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients jumped to 168,664 on Friday, with 61,678 cases reported in Punjab, 65,163 in Sindh, 20,790 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 9,162 in Balochistan, 1,225 in Gilgit Baltistan, 9,941 in Islamabad and 769 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has claimed at least 3,295 lives while around 61,383 coronavirus patients have recovered.
According to the NCOC, around 103 more ventilators have been added to national count, which raises total number of ventilators to 1,503 in the country. In order to meet additional requirements of hospitals, procurement of additional ventilators on fast track basis is in progress and will be completed between mid to end of July, adding that more than 1500 ventilators to the existing number.
On Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial lawmaker from Jhang Rana Shahbaz tested positive for coronavirus. Shahbaz has quarantined himself at his home after testing positive.
Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who tested positive for coronavirus on June 8, is recovering fast from the disease and will be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days. Sheikh Rashid was shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalpindi as a precautionary measure on Saturday on his doctor’s advice as he was feeling unwell. According to reports, he is recovering fast and is likely to be shifted to his house in two days.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah Friday said that as many as 49 more people have lost their lives due to Covid-19 during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 1,013 in the province. In his daily briefing, the chief minister said that 2,894 new cases of coronavirus have been detected through 13,662 tests. He maintained that Sindh’s tally of coronavirus cases has jumped to 65,163 after the 2,849 new infections were detected. He said a total of 31,425 Covid-19 patients are under treatment, of whom, 29,818 are in home isolation and 64 at isolation centres. As many as 1,691 more people recuperated from the disease and discharged to their respective homes as the number of people defeating the deadly virus has reached 23,725, he added.
As many as 86 prisoners and 11 staff members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus at Sukkur Central Jail. According to the District Health Officer, tests of 1,100 prisoners of Central Jail Sukkur were conducted out of which 86 inmates tested positive for the pandemic.
Punjab on Friday recorded 1,540 new cases and 63 deaths. The province has so far reported 61,678 cases, the second-highest in all provinces and territories in Pakistan. The death toll in Punjab, however, is the highest as the province has reported 1,265 casualties so far. About 17,892 people have recovered from the disease.
Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have collectively reported 345 new cases in the past 24 hours, the government’s Covid-19 portal reported. The federal capital reported 304 cases and one death. Islamabad has a total of 9,941 cases and 95 deaths. GB recorded 12 new cases, taking its tally to 1,225. About 29 new cases were recorded in AJK – where the total number has reached 769.
About 2,168 more people have recovered from the novel coronavirus, the government’s Covid-19 portal reported on Friday. The total number of recovered cases in Pakistan is now 61,383. So far, 37.18 per cent of the total number of patients have recovered.