By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Coronavirus on Friday has claimed 105 more lives in Pakistan during the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 15,229.
The latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed the COVID-19 has claimed 105 more lives and 5,312 fresh infections were reported during the period.
During the period of a day, the total count of active cases was recorded at 69,811 and the positivity rate stood at 9.66 per cent.
The health facilities across the country conducted 54,948 coronavirus detection tests, taking the total number of COVID-19 tests to 10,639,825 since the first case was reported.
According to the statistics, 174 patients were declared critical, adding to the total number of patients suffering from sensitive health condition up to 4,116. Overall 625,789 people have recovered from the virus including 2,390 who have regained their health from COVID-19 during the past 24 hours. In a bid to facilitate the masses, the federal government had decided on Thursday to extend COVID-19 vaccination centres’ hours in Islamabad. According to a notification issued by the federal government, the vaccination centres’ will remain open from 8 am to 6 pm.
However, the Covid vaccination centres will remain shut on Friday in order to give rest to the administrative and medical staff, read the notification. On the weekly holiday, the vaccination centres will complete their tasks including vaccine transfer and other related matters.
Meanwhile, In an appalling news development to have eventuated Friday, a front-line warrior against the global pandemic COVID-19, paediatrician Dr Hakeem Shah has died of the infection. The total number of Covid casualties amongst the doctors has reached 55 after the paediatrician’s death, confirmed the Provincial Doctors Association of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Dr Shah was posted in the Peshawar Cantt General Hospital as a children’s disease specialist and had contracted the virus, the association confirmed.
Separately to happen today in Punjab, a petition seeking directives for the authorities concerned to ensure the availability of a Covid-19 vaccine at cheaper rates was filed in the LHC. The Judicial Activism Panel moved the petition stating that a new wave of the coronavirus is tearing across the country.
