Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Tuesday said that deaths due to coronavirus hit new highs on Tuesday as 19 patients lost their lives in just one day - the highest since the first death was reported on March 19.

"The 19 deaths within 24 hours is the highest number since the first death was reported on March 19 and now Sindh has a total 299 deaths stemming from the coronavirus which constitutes 1.6 percent of the total patients."

This he said in his statement issued from CM House Tuesday.

Shah said that from March 19 to May 19, means from last two months as on average we have been taking more than five bodies per day. "Though the death ratio stands at 1.6 percent of the total patients yet we have taken 299 bodes with 61 days which is quite painful," he deplored.

He said that at present 135 patients were in critical condition, of them 34 have been put on the ventilators. "May Allah help them to recover at the earliest," he said.

Talking about 12,906 patients, Shah said that 11,373 or 88 percent were at home isolation, 819 at isolation centers and 715 or 5.7 percent in different hospitals. He added that he was happy to disclose that 252 more patients recovered from the infection, the number of the patients who have recovered so far have reached to 4741 which constituted 27 percent recovery ration," he said.

NEW PATIENTS: The chief minister said 706 new patients were detected when 3803 samples were tested. "On the one hand our 252 patients recovered while another 706 patients emerged which means despite discharging 252 patients 454 other were admitted," he said and added these figures showed that the recovery rate was much lower than the infection rate and this rate could be controlled when everyone would follow the SOPs.

He said that so far the government has tested 131,376 samples against which 17,947 positive cases were diagnosed. "The overall percentage of positive cases of the totals tests stands at 13.7 percent which is higher than various other countries ratio," he said.

Talking about Karachi, Shah said that out of 706 new cases 558 belong to Karachi. They include 134 South, 131 East, 105 Central, 72 West, 58 Malir and 58 in Korangi. "Karachi as usual is on the top in local spread," he said.

He said that we have 20 new cases in Hyderabad, 16 Larkana, 12 Kambar-Shahdadkot, 10 Jamshoro, six each in Shikarpur and Sukkur, five Khairpur, four Jacobabad, three each in Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, two each in Dadu, Ghotki and Kashmore with one each in Badin, Tando Allahyar and Naushehro Feroze.

FLIGHTS: According to the chief minister, three flights from Washington, Muscat and Jeddah brought in 792 stranded Pakistanis to Karachi on May 14, 15 and 16 respectively. They all were tested as a result 60 of them came positive while the results of 17 passengers were being awaited.

The chief minister, once again urged the people to follow SOPs and avoid going out without any solid reason.