-NCOC directs strict compliance with SOPs
-Nearly 2,000 cases, 27 more deaths reported in single day
-Sindh contribute 55% infections to the national daily COVID tally
By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday reported 1,980 new Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours as its positivity ratio has crossed four per cent for the first time since May 30, whereas Sindh contributed 55% to the National daily COVID tally.
The national tally on Sunday of total active COVID-19 cases was recorded as 37,499 with 1,980 more people testing positive for the deadly virus and 908 people recovering from the disease whereas 70 infected persons were admitted in the hospitals in critical condition during the last 24 hours.
27 corona patients died during last 24 hours, 26 of whom were under treatment in the hospitals and one in his respective home or quarantine facility, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC).
Most of the deaths were reported from Sindh and followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Out of the total 27 deaths occurred, 16 were on ventilators. There were 2,119 covid infected patients under treatment in critical condition and 70 of them were admitted in various Covid dedicated healthcare facilities of the country during last 24 hours.
The National Covid positivity ratio during last 24 hours was recorded 4.09 percent. The Covid positivity ratio is the percentage of actual positive cases appearing in every 100 tests performed to identify infected individuals.
The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major cities including Islamabad 15 percent, Lahore 17 percent, Bahawalpur 18 percent and Multan 13 percent. The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID patient) was also occupied in four major cities of Gilgit 36 percent, Skardu 67 percent, Karachi 32 percent and Swabi 38 percent.
Around 211 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no COVID affected person was on ventilator in Balochistan, and Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
Some 48,382 tests were conducted across the country on Saturday, including 16,929 in Sindh, 17,062 in Punjab, 10,035 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 1,670 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 1,039 in Balochistan, 641 in GB, and 1,006 in AJK.
Around 913,203 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients.
Since the pandemic broke out, a total of 973,284 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment COVID-19 patients so far, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir 21,067, Balochistan 27,961, GB 6,851, ICT 83,647, KP 139,313, Punjab 348,085 and Sindh 346,360.
About 22,582deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion. Around 5,599 people perished in Sindh, 15 of them died in hospitals and one out of the hospitals in the past 24 hours. Some 10,819 people died in Punjab with four deaths occurred in hospitals in the past 24 hours.
As many as 4,359 people expired in KP, six of them died in hospitals, 783 individuals died in ICT, one of them expired in the hospital, 317 people died in Balochistan, 111 infected people perished in GB and 594 people in AJK succumbed to the deadly virus.
A total of 15,056,787 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 639 hospitals are equipped with COVID facilities across the country. Some 2,390 corona patients were admitted in hospitals.
SOPs Compliance: NCOC on Sunday issued directives for SOPs implementation in high-risk sectors in wake of COVID variants being reported ahead of Eid ul Adha.
According to the NCOC, they have launched special measures to implement COVID SOPs in high-risk sectors. “The provinces have been issued detailed directives for strict implementation on SOPs,” it said.
The body overseeing COVID implementation strategies in the country said teams have been formed for implementing facemask and social distancing SOPs. “Guidelines have been issued for cattle markets and Eid ul Adha gatherings,” it said.
The NCOC further made it mandatory to have COVID vaccination for hotel bookings in tourist spots of Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) besides also launching a mechanism to verify vaccine certificates at hotels and entry points to the tourism spots.
Those coming to restaurants, gymnasium, cinemas, marriage halls should be vaccinated, the body said while calling for strict implementation of COVID SOPs at bus stops for inter and intra city public transport, and railway stations.
The NCOC has also stressed upon implementation of guidelines at mosques and shopping centres besides also issuing a checklist for district administrations in this regard. “Strict action will be taken against anyone violating the COVID SOPs,” it said.
