ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Tuesday, reported 118 coronavirus deaths which is the highest daily Covid-19 toll since July 2020, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) reported.

According to the NCOC, out of 118 deaths Punjab reported 74 and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 32, while in the past 24 hours, the country reported 4,318 Covid-9 cases, which took the national tally to 729,920, since the pandemic outbreak in February 2020.

According to the NCOC Covid-19 National Dashboard, in the past 24 hours, 3,432 people also recovered from the Covid-19 taking the national tally of recoveries to 638,267 people which is almost 90 percent of the total cases reported.

Out of 118 Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, 110 were under treatment in various hospitals across the country, while eight died at homes, the NCOC further revealed.

Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) remained worst-hit Covid-19 regions in Pakistan as Punjab reported 74 deaths and KPK reported 32 deaths.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak, Pakistan has reported a total 15,619 Covid-19 deaths. Punjab with 7,062 deaths is on top followed by Sindh with 4,530 deaths, KPK with 2,683 deaths, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) with 617 deaths of which six died in the past 24 hours, Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 407 deaths of which four died in the past 24 hours, Balochistan with 217 deaths of which two deaths were reported in the past 24 hours and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) with 103 deaths is at the bottom of the list.

Out of total 729,920 Covid-19 cases reported in Pakistan, Sindh with 259,474 cases is on top, followed by Punjab with 252,275 cases, KPK with 100,275 cases, the ICT with 66,983 cases, Balochistan with 20,397 cases, AJK with 14,687 cases, and G-B with 5,130 is at the bottom of the list.

Out of the total 118 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, 37 died on ventilators. Gunjranwala with 88 percent ventilator occupancy is on top followed by Multan with 81 percent, Lahore with 80 percent, and ICT with 52 percent.

The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID patient) was also occupied in four major areas: Charsadda 77 percent, Gujranwala 85 percent, Peshawar 74 percent, and Swabi 76 percent.

Around 503 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country, while no COVID affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan (G-B), and Balochistan.

Some 50,520 tests were conducted across the country on Monday, including 8,642 in Sindh, 27,320 in Punjab, 5,896 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 6,251 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 960 in Balochistan, 560 in GB, and 891 in AJK.

A total of 10,829,994 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 630 hospitals are equipped with COVID facilities.

Some 5,024 corona patients are admitted in hospitals across the country.

Meanwhile, Chairman NCOC Asad Umar, Tuesday, said that the UK coronavirus variant is behind the recent surge in the coronavirus cases in the entire region, and stressed that strict implementation of SOPs can curb the spread of the virus.

Talking to media persons in a virtual conference, the minister said that if Pakistan receives vaccines as per the commitments, the inoculation drive will be opened for all Pakistanis after Eidul Fitr.

He revealed that over 1.3 million people have so far been vaccinated against COVID-19 across the country and sixty to seventy thousand vaccines are currently being administered on a daily basis.

It is our effort to enhance it to one hundred and fifty thousand to two hundred thousand after Eid-ul-Fitr, he added.

The minister said that nine hundred thousand vaccines were available in the country last night.

The minister once again urged the people to fully comply with the health guidelines to avoid the spread of the virus.

He said that more than 1.3 million people had so far been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country.

The minister informed that as of now, 900,000 vaccines are available in the country, while more would be procured in the coming days.

The chairman NCOC said currently 60,000 to 70,000 people are receiving vaccines daily and this number would be increased by up to 200,000 after Eidul Fitr.

Asad Umar hoped that the vaccination for the people of age group 50 to 60 years would start soon, whereas after Eidul Fitr, people of all age group would be able to get the vaccine administered.

The minister added that so far only 1.7 million out of total 26 million people of over 60 years age have been registered for the vaccination.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021