By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: The coronavirus death toll across Pakistan surged to 52 on Monday after five more deaths were recorded in the country.Sindh reported 51 new cases of the virus, taking the provincial tally to 932.
According to Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab, the province also recorded two more deaths, taking the provincial total to 17.
“In the last 24 hours, 130 people have recovered from coronavirus in Sindh,” he added. In Punjab, more than 100 cases were reported today, taking the provincial tally to 1,918.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 405 cases while Balochistan reported 202 cases of the virus. Islamabad reported 82 cases, while Gilgit-Baltistan’s tally standing at 211 as of Monday morning.Azad Jammu and Kashmir has reported 16 cases so far.
Earlier in the morning, Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s health minister confirmed that the region had recorded one more new case of the infection. The minister said that the region’s tally now stands at 15 and that affected people had been shifted to a quarantine centre.
The deputy inspector general for jails has said that 28 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at Lahore’s Camp Jail.
He said the infected inmates had all been imprisoned over cases involving narcotics. They are all in stable condition, he said. The DIG said that in total, 400 prisoners have been placed under quarantine.
Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal on Monday said 31 more people had recovered from the virus in the province. The total number of recovered patients in Balochistan now stands at 60.
Coronavirus cases seem to be rapidly increasing in Punjab as more than 130 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the province on Monday evening, media reported.
With the confirmation of new cases, Punjab’s coronavirus tally has ballooned to 1,816.
A spokesperson for the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said, of the total, 557 cases were detected at quarantine centres where pilgrims are being kept after return from Iran.
527 people associated with Raiwind have been infected with the virus, while 49 inmates and 553 other citizens tested positive for the virus in the province.
Speaking at a presser earlier today, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza assured health professionals on the frontline of the war against the coronavirus of provision of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Zafar Mirza said that the country has received half a million N95 masks which will be provided to doctors and paramedics.
The special assistant said that the young doctors should not resort to protests at a time when the entire nation was struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza on Monday assured health professionals of provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), media reported.
Addressing a press conference, Zafar Mirza said that the country has received half a million N95 masks and added that it will be to provide to doctors and paramedics.
On the occasion, the special assistant said that the young doctors should not adopt the way of protest when the entire nation was struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier today, Police had resorted to baton-charge and arrested several doctors for staging a sit-in in the red zone near the Chief Minister’s House in Quetta.
As per details, the young doctors were protesting against the lack of safety kits for doctors, paramedical staff treating coronavirus patients in Sheikh Zayed Hospital Quetta.
The police had launched a baton charge after the doctors and paramedical staff wanted to move towards the CM House and refused to end their protest after negotiations between the Young Doctors Association and government had failed.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said the number of confirmed coronavirus patients has reached to 932 in the province, media reported.
Chairing a meeting in Karachi, the Sindh chief minister said 51 more COVID-19 cases were reported across the province on Monday, taking the Sindh’s tally to 932. He said that 17 people have lost their lives from the novel coronavirus till date.
“A total of 932 coronavirus patients were reported across the Sindh province so far out of which 253 have been discharged after getting their health back,” he added.
He said that about 8,931 tests had been performed in Sindh so far, while there are 662 active corona patients in Sindh.
“130 people are admitted at govt-run hospitals, while 192 are receiving treatment at the private hospital”, said Murad, adding that around 342 positive coronavirus patients are under self-isolation at their homes.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah speaking to an international news outlet said that the spread of the coronavirus could’ve been stopped by means of a national lockdown but the government acted late.
CM Sindh said that the world has observed and the findings are now conclusive that the virus spread through social interaction and social distancing is the best way to combat the conundrum.
He added that if the federal government had paid heed to his call then local contraction of coronavirus would not have been as big a deal as it has become now.
CM also claimed that the pilgrims who made their way from Iran into Sindh by land were quarantined but the coronavirus carriers who entered the province in droves through the airports, many were left unchecked, airplane passengers primary carriers of coronavirus to Sindh.
