Lahore (Rana Ali Zohaib): Coronavirus cases in Pakistan have surged to 1373 and expected to increase sharply in days to come as authorities are aiming to conduct more tests after receiving kits from China.
1373 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Pakistan so far. Unlike other countries across the world, the majority of the Coronavirus patients in Pakistan are young people.34% of positive cases belong to the 18-35 age groups. Considering Pakistan’s young demographics, The thing that we must be worried about is that many youngsters think that coronavirus only affects elderly people because they have weak immune systems and not taking precautionary measures.
Coronavirus cases in Pakistan gave surged to 1373 of which 440 are reported in Sindh, 490 in Punjab, 180 in KPK, 131 in Balochistan, 107 in GB, 27 in Islamabad, and 2 in AJK. 24 recovered and 10 people have died of coronavirus. 1191 are active cases in Pakistan.
Punjab
The Punjab government has confirmed 23 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the provincial tally to 490 and overtook Sindh that has reported 440 cases so far.
Imamia colony (Shahdara), Jiya Musa (Shahdara), Defence phase 4-5, Umar block Allama Iqbal town, All of these areas declared red zones for covid-19.
DGK quarantine 207 cases, Multan quarantine 46, Lahore 115, Gujrat 48, Gujranwala 9, Jhelum 19, Rawalpindi 14, Multan 3, Faisalabad 10, Mandi Bahauddin 3, Sargodha 2, Nankana Sahib 2 and Mianwali 2 and Narowal, Rahim Yar Khan, Attock, Bahawalnagar and Khushab one case each.
Muhammad Hanif, 70, a resident of Ferozwala Sheikhupura, was found dead in the washroom of the Mayo Hospital on Friday morning. As per other coronavirus patients in the Isolation Ward, the elderly man experienced extreme pain throughout Thursday night and continued calling doctors and nurses for hours till Friday morning in helplessness as he was tied to the bed.
A 1,000-bed field hospital would become functional at Expo Centre Lahore in a week. This was stated during a meeting held to review strategy to contain the spread of coronavirus and maintain the supply chain during the lockdown in the province.
Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over a video-link meeting of cabinet committee for the eradication of Covid-19 here at his office Friday to review the arrangements made for the treatment of patients. The meeting reviewed the pace of the food supply chain in the province. The meeting decided to close down retail shops, grocery and general stores at 8 pm. The chief minister said that these shops would remain open from 8 am to 8 pm daily and implementation of this decision would be started from today (Saturday).
The Punjab government appreciated the services being rendered by the Pakistan Army, Rangers, police, and members of the provincial administration. Similarly, the role being played by doctors and paramedics is also worthwhile.
To contain the spread of coronavirus in prisons, the Punjab government’s home department will be releasing 20,000 prisoners out of 46,000 from 41 jails across the province.
Sindh
The Sindh Health Department on Friday said that 19 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Sindh including 11 new cases of local transmission in Karachi, one new case of local transmission in Hyderabad and seven new cases in pilgrims from Iran in Larkana.
A spokesperson for the Sindh health department said that now the total tally of Karachi had reached the figure 164 among 440 confirmed cases in Sindh. A total of 13 patients have fully recovered in Karachi and one in Hyderabad, while 153 are under treatment.
Three more persons were tested positive for coronavirus, raising the number of total confirmed cases to 31 in the Rawalpindi Division.
Gilgit Baltistan
Another 16 people from Gilgit Baltistan tested positive as a tally of coronavirus patients rose to 103. While talking to media in Gilgit-Baltistan, Information Minister Shams Mir and Law Minister Aurangzaib told that so far three patients had been received and a Dr. Usama met martyrdom. Shams Mir said that all 16 patients of coronavirus had travel history and they were from Baltistan. He said, “We are thankful to the Chinese government, which donated medical equipment to the GB government to tackle wi AJK th the current situation.
AJK
Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan expressed satisfaction over the coordinated efforts of various government departments and the state institutions to contain COVID-19 pandemic in the liberated territory as only 2 of 83 corona suspects tested positive in AJK so far.
“In all 83 suspected patients of COVID-19, 59 of them have been tested negative, two positives, and the test reports of 24 suspected cases are yet to receive,” the president expressed these views while talking to AJK Chief Secretary Mathar Niaz Rana who called on him at the State’s metropolis and briefed him about the measures taken by the government to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, AJK Presidential secretariat said in a statement released to media.
KPK
The KP Health Department released the list of 57 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. As many as 34 of them belonged to Mardan. And in Mardan, the majority of the patients hailed from Manga Union Council, where the virus is believed to have spread to the villagers from one Saadat Khan, who had hosted a feast upon his return home and met the villagers and his other guests.
Amid strict lockdown, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday reported 57 fresh cases of coronavirus as the total number of patients rose to 180. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) Member Provincial Assembly, Abdul Salam Afridi was among the patients as he tested positive for coronavirus. His constituency in the Mardan district includes Manga village, which is the worst affected place in the province with more than 40 coronavirus cases. Afridi had reportedly visited Manga recently and contracted the disease.
Peshawar on Friday reported five positive cases, Buner four and three each in Nowshera and Swabi. Besides, 100 suspected patients were admitted to different hospitals in the province. The KP government is worried about the expected rise in the number of positive coronavirus cases in the coming days as the results of 345 patients are still awaited.
