LAHORE: While there is no respite in the spread of coronavirus, the Punjab government has decided to keep the educational institutions closed until September 15. Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas announced in a tweet on Friday that all the public and private schools in Punjab will remain closed till September 15. He urged the public to stay home and stay safe.
It may be noted that the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) extended restrictions in high-risk districts across the country amid the worsening situation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Out of 22966 tests conducted across the province in the last 24 hours; Punjab has reported 36 more fatalities and 1705 new infections taking the provincial tally of death toll to 12171 and coronavirus cases to 410463.
Out of 36 deaths reported across Punjab, 12 were reported in Rawalpindi, 9 in Lahore, 5 in DG Khan, 3 in Faisalabad, 2 in Gujranawala and one each in Sargodha and Sheikhupura taking the death toll in these districts to 1931, 4806, 186, 1220, 541, 311 and 144, respectively.
In the provincial metropolis, corona situation is still in red zone, as 672 fresh virus cases were reported during the last 24 hours as against 203 infections in Rawalpindi, 120 in Faisalabad, 85 in DG Khan and 21 in Gujranwala.
With the recovery of 1810 more virus patients, the number of recovered patients in the province reached to 371,198. On the other hand, as many as 3,755 coronavirus recoveries were reported across the country taking the tally of recoveries to 1079867 showing the recovery rate of 90.1 percent.
As per break-up of coronavirus cases and deaths in major cities of the province, Lahore has so far reported 207048 cases and 4806 deaths, Rawalpindi 36271 cases and 1931 deaths, Faisalabad 24652 cases and 1220 deaths, Multan 20830 cases and 893 deaths, Gujranwala 9749 cases and 541 deaths, Muzaffargarh 2863 cases and 348 deaths, Rahim Yar Khan 7540 cases and 290 deaths, Sargodha 10036 cases and 311 deaths, Sheikhupura 4549 cases and 144 deaths and Sialkot reported 8379 cases and 244 deaths.
Secretary Health Imran Sikandar Baloch, while reviewing the current situation of coronavirus in the province, issued special SOPs for various sectors and expressed satisfaction over province-wide vaccination drive.
He also directed authorities concerned to intensify the dengue prevention activities across the province. He appealed to take special care of cleanliness and no garbage should be thrown in open places.
Moreover, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) has joined hands with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the official healthcare partner of Pakistan cricket for the 2021-22 domestic and home international season.
Through this partnership, PCB and SKMCH&RC will work closely on Covid-19 testing and related protocols throughout men's and women's domestic and international cricket season, which got underway at the National Stadium, Karachi with the Pakistan Cup Women's One-Day Tournament.
The partnership will cover international tours by New Zealand, England (men's and women's), West Indies and Australia besides men's and women's domestic events.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said, "The partnership with Shaukat Khanum Hospital is a matter of immense satisfaction and pride for the PCB. Besides their charity work, Shaukat Khanum Hospital also provides world-class healthcare services which will surely benefit our players and support staff throughout the upcoming season of international and domestic cricket."
SKMT acting CEO Dr Muhammed Aasim Yusuf said, "Shaukat Khanum Hospital has always been at the forefront of providing quality healthcare services in Pakistan. We have had a relationship with the PCB for over two decades, and this latest agreement serves to underline our commitment to the cause of enhancing health and safety standards in our country."
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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