The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients soared to 91,217 on Friday, with 33,144 cases reported in Punjab, 34,889 in Sindh, 12,459 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,582 in Balochistan, 852 in Gilgit Baltistan, 3,946 in Islamabad and 345 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has claimed at least 1,900 lives while about 31,198 coronavirus patients have recovered so far.
Six lawmakers, including members of National Assembly and Senate, tested positive for Covid-19. They were identified as Rai Muhammad Murtaza, Sabeen Rizvi, Abdul Aziz Khan, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Bilal Khan and Shah Khalid Khan.
Former health minister and PML-N leader Saira Afzal Tarar has tested positive for Covid-19, according to the party’s deputy secretary general Ataullah Tarar. In a statement, he said that she had gotten tested after having Covid-19 symptoms. “She has since gone into quarantine,” he said.
Punjab health authorities reported 2,040 new cases on Friday, taking the provincial tally to 33,144. At least 22 more persons succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours. Punjab’s death toll stands at 629. So far, 266,959 tests have been carried out in the province.
Another 40 patients of Covid-19 have succumbed to the deadly virus in the past 24 hours in Sindh to bring the provincial death toll to 615, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said. The province also reported 1,353 new cases of coronavirus to raise the tally to 34,889. At least 1,005 more patients have recovered to bring the total number of recoveries to 17,787 in the province.
Among new cases, 984 cases were reported from Karachi – East 282, Central 204, South 162, Malir 148, Korangi 108 aur West 80 – Hyderabad 70, Ghotki 41, Sukkur 26, Khairpur 25, Jacobabad 17, Larkana 14, Mirpurkhas 12, Jashoro 11, Sanghar 11,Tando Mohammad khan 6, Kashmore 6, Naushehroferoze 3, Badin 2, Dadu 2, Kambar 2, Shikarpur 2, Sujawal 1, Thatta 1.
Balochistan Friday reported 194 Covid-19 cases and one more death, according to the provincial health department’s daily situation report. With the new cases, the provincial total has risen to 5,776 while the death toll is 54.
Islamabad reported 402 new coronavirus cases on Friday, its biggest daily jump in infections since the outbreak of the disease, according to the Islamabad District Health Office.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has confirmed 20 more casualties due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours to bring the provincial death toll to 541. Five deaths were reported from Peshawar, four from Abbottabad, two each in Nowshera, Swat and Bajaur, and one each in Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Battagram and Malakand. At least 569 new cases – 17 from Torkham quarantine center – were also confirmed, taking the total to 12,459. At least 145 more patients have recovered, taking the total to 3,366 in the province.
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) health department has confirmed one more casualty and 32 more cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours to bring the total number of patients to 345 in the state. The virus has so far claimed seven lives while 182 patients have recovered in the state. Among the new patients, 14 are from Muzaffarabad, seven from Rawalakot, four from Bagh, five from Bhimber and two from Mirpur district.
Saudi Arabia on Friday mourned the death of a Pakistani surgeon who succumbed to the novel coronavirus after developing health complications, Arab News reported.
Dr Naeem Chaudhry was the first doctor to have lost his life in the kingdom as a result of Covid-19. He worked in the General Surgery Department at Hira General Hospital in Makkah.
