-Punjab reports more than 1,000 cases for second straight day
-Health Minister Dr. Yasmin says private sector allowed to import COVID vaccine
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: A day after the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) re-imposed restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country, Pakistan reported more than 2,000 virus cases for the first time since January.
According to official data, Pakistan has reported 2,258 cases in the last 24 hours, marking the first time the country has reported over 2,000 infections since January 29, when 2,186 cases were recorded.
An NCOC press release stated that 42,164 tests were conducted on March 10, which translates into a positivity rate of 5.3 per cent, while the total number of active cases in the country is 17,627 as of March 11.
Breakdown of cases reported during last 24 hours: Punjab: 1,290 cases, Islamabad: 350 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 289 cases, Sindh: 256 cases, Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 57 cases, Balochistan: 16 cases
With the new cases, the national tally has risen to 597,497.
The NCOC also shared the percentage of ventilators occupied in four major areas of the country. According to the breakdown, Lahore has
the rate of ventilator occupancy at 39 per cent. Highest ventilator occupancy rates: Lahore: 39pc, Islamabad: 37pc, Peshawar: 24pc, Multan: 21pc Furthermore, another city in Punjab, Gujrat, has the highest rate of oxygen beds currently occupied at 94pc, highlighting a worsening situation in the province. Highest oxygen beds occupancy rates: Gujrat: 94pc, Peshawar: 39pc, Islamabad: 36pc, Lahore: 29pc
Punjab reports more than 1,000 cases for second straight day: Meanwhile, Punjab has reported 1,290 coronavirus cases and 33 deaths during the past 24 hours. The provincial total has risen to 180,944 and the death toll is 5,662. This is the second straight day the province has reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases. A day earlier, Punjab recorded 1,006 cases and 29 deaths.
According to the Punjab health department’s data, 741 of the 1,290 cases (57.4pc) were reported in Lahore – the provincial capital. Rawalpindi and Faisalabad both reported 81 cases each, followed by 58 in Gujrat. Addressing a press conference later on Thursday, Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said that the public needed to practice precautionary measures in order to curb the spread of the disease.
She stated that some parts of the province were reporting the British variant of the Covid-19 virus which was more contagious. “[Therefore] we think that the British strain is causing a spike in cases,” she said.
She added that it was important to relay this information to the public as some had taken the situation “very lightly”. “When the government decided to lift restrictions people stopped taking precautionary measures,” she said. The Punjab health minister also urged citizens over the age of 60 to register themselves for the Covid-19 vaccine. NCOC re-imposes restrictions:
The government, in view of the declining trend of Covid-19 cases prevailing in the country, had earlier relaxed a number of restrictions on commercial activities and official work on Feb 24.
Under the new directives, time limit on commercial activities had been lifted and condition of 50 per cent attendance at workplaces was removed with immediate effect. Private sector allowed to import COVID vaccine: Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said as many as 126 patients across the province are currently on ventilators due to COVID-19.”The surge in COVID-19 cases was witnessed after the return of citizens from the UK.”
