Punjab reports 22 deaths, 728 new cases: Overall corona positivity rate surges to 3.92pc

LAHORE: Punjab has reported 728 new corona virus cases during the last 24 hours, the first time the province detected more than 700 infections in a day in over two months. Earlier, the province had confirmed 702 cases on May 27.

With 728 fresh infections, the tally of corona virus cases has reached 356,211. With 22 fresh fatalities; the death toll in the province has reached 11,041.

As many as 18,571 corona virus tests conducted during the last 24 hours and the overall positivity rate in the province reached 3.92 percent. Out of 22 deaths reported during the last 24 hours, nine were reported in Rawalpindi, eight in Lahore, two each in Muzaffargarh and Gujranwala and one in Multan taking the death toll in these districts to 1603, 4416, 278, 431 and 871, respectively.

With the recovery of 351 more corona positive patients, the total number of recovered patients in Punjab has reached 332,429. On the other hand, 1,330 corona virus recoveries were reported across the country during the past 24 hours taking the tally of recoveries to 940,164. There are 3,187 virus patients who are in critical condition.

As per breakup of corona cases and deaths in major cities of the province, Lahore has so far reported 183,366 cases and 4,416 deaths, Rawalpindi 28,327 cases and 1,603 deaths, Faisalabad 21,804 cases and 1,175 deaths, Multan 18,218 cases and 871 deaths, Gujranwala 8,442 cases and 431 deaths, Sargodha 8,558 cases and 291 deaths and Sialkot reported 7,235 cases and 239 deaths.

In the wake of 4th wave of corona virus, the public sector hospitals have adopted special measures to deal with the emerging situation.

The administration of Lahore General Hospital (LGH) has designated separate entry and exit points in the outdoor department of the hospital for the protection of the people. Duties have also been assigned to the medical staff to guide the patients to their respective departments while the patient will be able to go to the doctor’s room for medical examination and a caregiver will also be allowed to accompany the patient.

Post Graduate Medical Institute Principal Prof Dr Sardar Muhammad Al-freed Zafar said on Saturday that the step has been taken in view of the seriousness of the current situation.

“Everyone should ensure use of face masks and take full advantage of free vaccination facility provided by the government,” he said.

“The treatment of virus patients is going on uninterruptedly at LGH and doctors, nurses and paramedics are risking their own lives to perform their professional duties with full dedication and diligence.”

Terming the Indian Delta Virus as “deadly”, he asked the citizens to protect their lives and the lives of others by taking precautionary measures and co-operate with the medical staff in present situation.

Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare (P&SHD) Sarah Aslam said that vaccination drive is underway across the province at fast pace.

Talking about effects of Covid-19 on polio campaign, she said that the lockdown and overall pandemic emergency have of course affected polio eradication; the vaccination campaigns were stopped and work at temporary transit points was also suspended, while at that time target of vaccinated children was about 250,000 per month in Punjab. With all these challenges, efforts were being made to resume vaccination activities, she said: “The Punjab government and the health department are determined to make Punjab polio free and taking all necessary actions even during pandemic to achieve the goal of eradication”.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021