-Virus tally surpasses 191,000, including 5,164 medical professionals
-Over 78,000 recover from infection
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to the launch of a Corona Relief Tiger Force mobile application, media reported.
The approval came during his meeting with Special Assistant on Youth Affairs Usman Dar at the PM Office in Islamabad today. Prime Minister Khan issued directives for launching the geo-tagging based app across the country. Expressing satisfaction over the effective functioning of the volunteer force through digital technology, the prime minister said the best facilities should be provided to the young volunteers helping the government in its fight against the coronavirus contagion.
He emphasised that the youth are an asset of the country, therefore, they should be provided full opportunity to serve the nation.
Prime Minister said violators of the government-defined SOPs should be identified and taken to task on the spot. The prime minister will launch the app nationwide next week. The number of healthcare professionals affected by the novel coronavirus in the country has surged to 5,164 as 130 more health workers were diagnosed with the disease in the last 24 hours.
According to a report of the National Institute of Health (NIH), the tally of doctors infected by coronavirus in Pakistan so far has increased to 3,150, while 612 nurses also contracted coronavirus.
Moreover, 1402 paramedics have been infected by the virus, report said.
Around 2,4 20 infected healthcare workers have been quarantined at homes. The tally of coronavirus positive health professionals admitted at hospitals is 269 and 262 of them have been in better condition”, according to the report. Among infected health workers 2,419 have recovered, while 56 of them have died of the virus infection, the report said.
In Sindh 21 healthcare professionals have died, while the number of deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is ten, five in Balochistan, three in Gilgit-Baltistan, thirteen in Punjab and four in Islamabad, the report further said.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 3,892 fresh cases were detected in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally of the cases to 188,926.
72,656 cases have been detected in Sindh so far, 69,536 in Punjab, 23,388 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 9,634 in Balochistan, 11,483 in Islamabad, 892 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 1,337 in Gilgit Baltistan.
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid has said that the prevailing situation which emerged to spread coronavirus pandemic is not just a challenge, it is an opportunity as well as to serve this nation with full dedication and commitment.
She stated this while addressing participants of a ceremony organized here at Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) Lahore regarding distribution of certification.
Dr. Yasmin distributed certificates among the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff serving in the Corona ward of SIMS.
Addressing the participants of ceremony, the Health Minister said that Pakistan is passing through a difficult phase.
She said that doctors are known as the Messiahs and she salute all doctors, nurses and paramedical staff serving on the frontline.
At leaser 1,228 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Punjab in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the province to 69,536.
According to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, 21 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll in the province to 1,516. Thus far, 19,935 patients have been cured of the disease in the province. At least 1,228 fresh cases were detected after 10,152 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours. A total of 435,187 tests have been conducted in the province so far.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) killed 60 more people in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 3,755.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 3,892 fresh cases were detected, taking the national tally of the cases to 188,926.
Chairman District Municipal Corporation East Karachi has demanded release of funds for clearance of the storm water drains in the metropolis before the monsoon season.
The DMC chief has demanded release of a special grant of 65 million in a letter written to Sindh minister for local government, Chief Secretary Sindh, Commissioner Karachi, and the provincial secretary finance.
The chairman has pointed out deteriorating situation of the drains in Gulshan Iqbal and Jamshed Town in district east of the city. The drains could submerge surrounding population if the cleaning work not done before the rainy weather, the chairman DMC said.
“The Sindh government should fulfill its promises of grant for clearance of the drains,” the municipal chairman Karachi East said in his letter.
The chairmans of four municipal districts of Karachi had yesterday called on the minister of local government and demanded release of funds for clearance of storm water drains in their respective municipal limits.
It is to be mentioned here that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) earlier asked the provinces to make all the precautionary measures ready ahead of the monsoon season, as above-average rainfall is expected across the country this year.
The government of Punjab has decided to seal 33 more localities across the province including lockdown in eight more areas of Lahore, to halt rapid rise in coronavirus cases.
Selected lockdown has also been continued in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar.
Chief Secretary Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik has approved strict implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the province to curb novel coronavirus and said that action will be taken against the violators of SOPs.
In view of the slide in number of COVID-19 cases and death rate, selected lockdown has been extended to 33 more areas of the province.
According to reports, 96,229 houses and 1.69 million population will be put under lockdown in all blocks of Gulberg (1, 2, 3), Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Faisal Town, Garden Town and the Lahore Walled City.
Section 144 has also been imposed in the areas to force the people to follow the rules to control and restrict the coronavirus spread.
The government of Punjab also considering to keep the cattle markets in the outskirts of the cities.
Moreover, Islamabad’s four more sectors have been locked down, while smart lockdown has been in force in 25 localities of Faisalabad.
Smart lockdown has also been in force in 41 areas of Karachi, 14 areas of Peshawar.
Sindh recorded 1,414 fresh coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of infections across the province to 72,656.
Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement on the coronavirus situation said that the total number of infections across the province has soared to 72,656 as the province conducted a total of 3,95,287 tests and 7400 in past 24 hours.
Shah said that 37 more patients of coronavirus died in the last 24 hours across the province, taking the death toll from COVID-19 to 1,161.
As many as 1,376 people were discharged to their respective homes after recovery, taking the tally of recoveries to 39,473.
The chief minister said that 32,772 coronavirus patients are undergoing treatment in Sindh, including 31,184 quarantined at homes, 81 at isolation centres and 1,457 at hospitals. Some 733 of the patients under treatment at hospitals are in critical condition and 136 of them are on ventilators.
Murad Ali Shah said that from a total of 1,414 new coronavirus cases detected in the province in past 24 hours, 644 were reported in Karachi.
In District East of Karachi 185 cases were reported, 184 in District South, 68 cases in District Central, 97 in Korangi district, 70 in Malir and 40 cases reported in District West of the city.
In other parts of Sindh, 27 cases were reported in Ghotki, 74 cases in Hyderabad district, 30 in Sukkur, 18 in Larkana, 8 in Sanghar, 7 in Khairpur, 33 in Mirpurkhas, 8 each in Dadu, Naushero Feroze and Jamshoro, shah said.
