The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients soared to 174,510 on Saturday, with 64,216 cases reported in Punjab, 67,353 in Sindh, 21,444 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 9,162 in Balochistan, 1,253 in Gilgit Baltistan, 10,279 in Islamabad and 803 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir so far. The virus has claimed at least 3,436 lives while around 65,331 coronavirus patients have recovered so far.
On Saturday, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab tested positive for Covid-19 and gone into self-isolation at his residence in Karachi, he confirmed in a statement. Wahab said he is in good health and has not developed any symptoms for the mysterious respiratory disease.
As many as 2,190 fresh coronavirus cases were reported overnight in the province, while 35 more people succumbed to the virus, revealed Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday. The number of people infected with Covid-19 in Sindh has reached 67,353, while the province’s death toll has soared to 1,048.
Shah shared that 20.2 per cent of the 10,830 samples tested on the day had turned out to be positive, whereas the ratio of the positive cases to the 364,959 samples tested to date stands at 18.2 per cent. The CM further informed that 32,193 patients were currently under treatment, of which 30,504 were in home isolation, 1,627 were being treated at different hospitals and 62 were quarantined at isolation centres. Moreover, he apprised, 700 patients were in critical condition, of whom 116 had been shifted on ventilators. On the other hand, 1,387 more patients regained health from the virus, taking the tally of recovered people to 34,112.
Meanwhile, the provincial capital saw 1,315 new Covid-19 cases emerging on Saturday, said Shah, with the district-wise break up showing 360 fresh cases in East district, 346 in South, 185 in Malir, 165 in Central, 140 in West and 119 in Korangi district.
Moreover, 123 people were diagnosed with the virus in Khairpur, 111 in Hyderabad, 79 in Ghotki, 76 in Sukkur, 33 in Mirpurkhas, 31 in Larkana, 30 in Naushero Feroze, 28 in Dadu, 16 in Sanghar, 12 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 11 in Kashmore, eight in Jamshoro, six each in Badin and Umerkot, five apiece in Sujawal and Tando Allahyar, three in Jacobabad three, two in Thatta and one in Matiari.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department confirmed 19 more casualties due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours to bring the provincial death toll to 808. Four people died in Peshawar, as many in Bajaur, three in Swat, two each in Mardan and Malakand and one each in Charsadda, Nowshera, Abbottabad and Kohat. Health officials also reported 654 new cases – 48 from Int’l flights – taking the province’s total to 21,444. Moreover, another 440 patients recovered to bring the tally to 6,063.
Punjab health authorities on Saturday reported 2,538 new cases, raising the provincial tally to 64,216. At least 82 more persons succumbed to the virus and the province’s death toll stands at 1,347.
At least 107 prisoners and 18 employees at the Central Jail Sukkur have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the jail authorities confirmed Saturday. They all have been quarantined. The jail authorities have also decided to test the families of its employees as well. The health department tested 1,295 people of which 125 tested positive.
