ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections after nine months as the country reported 5,234 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, and reported 83 Covid-19 deaths.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the country on June 20, 2020 during the first Covid-19 wave registered 6,604 coronavirus cases.

The NCOC data said that over the past 24 hours, 1,931 people have recovered from the deadly global disease, taking the national tally of recoveries to 607,205, which is nearly 97 percent.

Out of the 83 covid-19 patients who died in the past 24 hours, 76 of them were under treatment in various hospitals across the country, while seven died in their homes, the NCOC said.

As usual most of the deaths over the past 24 hours were reported in Punjab, where 58 people died of the deadly virus, and 19 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).

Out of the total 83 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, 26 of them had died on ventilators.

At present, Multan is on top with 70 percent ventilators occupancy followed by Lahore with 67 percent ventilators occupancy, Gujranwala with 60 percent, and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) with 50 percent.

Swat with 100 percent Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of Covid patient) was on top followed by Peshawar with 87 percent, Gujranwala with 85 percent, and Gujrat 73 percent.

Around 421 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country, while no Covid affected person was on ventilator in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan.

Health authorities over the past 24 hours carried out 50,170 tests across the country including 8,913 in Sindh, 23,039 in Punjab, 8,574 in KP, 7,872 in ICT, 590 in Balochistan, 272 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and 910 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

A total of 10,297,544 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 631 hospitals are equipped with COVID facilities.

Some 3,993 corona patients were admitted in hospitals across the country.

Since the pandemic outbreak, Pakistan has traced a total 678,165 cases which also include deaths, recovered and under treatment Covid-19 patients.

Sindh with 265,917 cases is on top followed by Punjab with 225,953 cases, the KPK with 89,255 cases, the ICT with 59,401 cases, Balochistan with 19,610 cases, the AJK with 12,984 cases, and the GB with 5,045 cases.

At present, Punjab, KPK, ICT and AJK are worst hit Covid-19 areas on account of deaths as well as new cases. The Balochistan government is conducting fewest Covid-19 tests.

Of 14,613 national deaths, Punjab with 6,485 deaths is on top followed by Sindh with 4,504 deaths of which two died in past 24 hours, KPK with 2,382 deaths, ICT with 572 deaths, AJK with 358 deaths of which three died in past 24 hours, Balochistan with 209 deaths of which one died in past 24 hours, and GB with 103 deaths is at the bottom.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021