-Asad says 92 areas flagged in 20 cities reporting 40% of all virus cases
-Dr. Zafar urges care and caution to protect elderly people
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients stands at 178,892 with 65,739 cases in Punjab, 69,628 in Sindh, 21,444 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 9,328 in Balochistan, 1,278 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 10,662 in Islamabad and 813 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The virus has claimed at least 3,438 lives while around 65,331 coronavirus patients have recovered.
Planning minister Asad Umar, who also heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), on Sunday said that with the use of technology, 92 coronavirus hotspots have so far been flagged in 20 cities, covering 40% of all active cases.
Speaking to the media, Umar said that a lockdown in these areas would affect only 3% of the country’s total population. He said relevant information regarding these areas, which are the worst hit by the pandemic, had been disseminated to the respective provinces.
“Smart lockdown in these hotspots can stop the spread of the pandemic,” he said, adding: “Following the SOPs [standard operating procedures] is essential to prevent the spread of coronavirus.” The minister said at least 189 oxygen beds were being provided to medical facilities in Islamabad and that there would be an addition of 2,100 oxygen beds by the end of July.
These oxygen beds would be given to the Polyclinic Hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Hospital, he said. The country witnessed a spike in infections and deaths in the past week, with a record 6,825 new cases reported on June 13 and 153 deaths recorded on June 19 both statistics representing the highest jump in single-day figures since the first case was reported on February 26.
Deaths have consistently stood above a 100 for the past six days. According to the government’s COVID-19 portal, more than 119 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours. With this, the grim total breached 3,500.
Meanwhile, the number of cases rose by 4,951 to 176,617, according to the website. There are currently more than 105,000 active infections while more than 67,000 have recovered so far. Sindh is the worst affected province with 67,353 cases, nearly a third of which come (20,192) from Karachi alone. Punjab comes in at second place with 65,739 infections, with the provincial capital, again, reporting the most number of cases at 11,463. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 21,444 cases of which Peshawar has a bit more than 2,100. Balochistan has reported 9,328 infections with Quetta bearing the brunt with at least one-third of the cases at 3,365. Islamabad Capital Territories have 10,662, Gilgit-Baltistan 1,278 and Azad Kashmir 813 confirmed infections.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza asked people to take special care of elders in their families as the country faces an increasing number of deaths and infections. Briefing the media in Islamabad today, he urged the people to strictly observe safety guidelines such as wearing face masks, observing social distancing, washing hands frequently, and above all, staying indoors to stay safe from COVID-19. The premier’s aide said so far 72% of all deaths from the virus occurred in individuals aged over 50.
He cautioned against the use of public transport and going to crowded places. Dr Mirza reminded people that the Ministry of National Health Services has issued special guidelines on covid.gov.pk with a view to protecting senior citizens from the deadly pandemic. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Sunday reiterated the importance of taking precautionary measures such as wearing masks, washing hands and practising social distancing to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country. He was addressing a press conference in Islamabad as the countrywide Covid-19 tally crossed 178,000 cases.
“We have to fight against this disease on an individual level, family level and community level,” he said, listing down things that everyone should do to slow down the spread of Covid-19 while protecting the elderly.
Masks: Urging everyone to wear masks in public, Mirza reminded the nation that the government has made it mandatory to wear masks in public to prevent the spread of infections. “It doesn’t have to be a surgical mask, the point is to cover the face to prevent infection,” he said.
Social distancing: Mirza recommended keeping a physical distance of at least 2 metres, or 6 feet, from others while in public. “Shaking hands, hugging or any sort of physical contact is strictly not recommended,” he said.
Washing hands: Reiterating the importance of washing hands during a pandemic, Mirza said that hands tend to cause infections because of how often they come in contact with the mouth. “Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. You can also use sanitiser but soap and water is more effective,” he said.
Highlighting the most vulnerable groups of population during a lethal pandemic, Mirza said that it was incumbent upon the younger, healthier people in the family to protect the elderly. “If an elderly loved one is already suffering from a preexisting condition such as diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease or cancer, it’s our job to protect them,” he said.
He recommended that the elderly’s physical contact be minimised and urged them to take precautions to protect themselves from getting infected. “The elderly should definitely wear masks, wash hands and stay physically away from people,” he said, adding that living rooms of the elderly should be disinfected often. “If they [the elderly and vulnerable] develop symptoms fever, sore threat or cough they shoud be isolated and a doctor should be contacted immediately,” Mirza said. 40pc of Covid-19 cases reported from 92 hotpots
Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has identified 92 hotspots in 20 cities. These hotspots account for 40 per cent of the country’s total Covid-19 cases.Talking to reporters in Islamabad, Umar said that there would be a targeted lockdown in these hotpsots. “Only three per cent of the country’s total population resides in these areas and will be affected by the lockdown. This is better than locking down the entire country.”In this way the wheel of the economy will keep turning, people will not lose their livelihoods and we will be able to protect people’s health.”
The minister added that the NCOC had given approval to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to provide 2,150 beds to hospitals countrywide.SAPM Mirza’s plea to protect the vulnerable populations came as Pakistan reported 178,892 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.More than 3,500 people have now died due to the respiratory disease in the country. Sindh has reported the most number of cases, with 69,628, followed by Punjab with 65,739. The two provinces have collectively reported around 75 per cent of the country’s Covid-19 caseload. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 21,444 cases and Balochistan has reported 9,328 Covid-19 cases.
