-Says precautionary measures devised for Eid-ul-Azha
-Confirmed cases near 248,000 as 154,000 recover from infection after treatment
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The country reported 2,752 coronavirus cases and 65 deaths over the past 24 hours, taking the national tally of infections to 246,351 and fatalities to 5,123.
2,752 new cases were detected after 23,569 tests were conducted in the previous 24 hours, according to the National Command and Operation Centre.
88,094 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment while 153,134 patients have recuperated from the disease. 15,148,58 tests have been conducted across the country so far.
102,368 cases have been detected in Sindh so far, 85,991 in Punjab, 29,775 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11,128 in Balochistan, 13,927 in Islamabad, 1,532 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 1,630 in Gilgit Baltistan.
23,569 corona tests were carried out during this period. At least 12,361,580 cases of coronavirus have been registered in 196 countries and territories. Of these, at least 6,593,400 are now considered recovered. Many countries are testing only symptomatic or the most serious cases. The United States is the worst-hit country with 133,542 deaths from 3,144,472 cases. At least 969,111 people have been declared recovered.
The novel coronavirus has killed at least 556,140 people.
After the US, the hardest-hit countries are Brazil with 69,184 deaths from 1,755,779 cases, the United Kingdom with 44,650 deaths from 288,133 cases, Italy with 34,938 deaths from 242,639 cases and Mexico with 33,526 deaths from 282,283 cases.
Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Asad Umar on Saturday said that the number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators in the country was gradually decreasing and since June 20, the number had been decreased by 28 percent.
“On June 20, there were 2969 Corona patients on oxygen out of which 546 were on ventilators, however by the grace of Allah Almighty, the number of patients on oxygen has come down to 1762 whereas that on ventilators has reduced to 394 patients showing a decline of 28 percent,” Asad Umar said in his tweet.
He said the government’s strategy of smart lockdown and administrative measures to ensure implementation of SOPs and above all the better attitude of common people in this regard had helped to contain the corona virus.
Asad Umar who also heads National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Corona, advised the people to follow all the precautionary measures issued by the health department that would not only help safeguard us from the virus but the livelihood of common people would also continue.
However he warned that if the people would not follow SOPs, the situation in Pakistan too could become out of control as it was in the US, Brazil and India.
In Karachi 2096 members of the police force have been infected by novel coronavirus, a spokesperson of Sindh Police said on Saturday.
“In last two days, 171 policemen have been infected by coronavirus,” police department said in a statement.
Since the emergence of the pandemic 16 policemen, including officers, have been martyred while performing their duty, a spokesperson said. Fourteen policemen have succumbed to the disease in Karachi and two in Hyderabad Police Range, according to the spokesman.
Presently 1584 policemen have been under treatment, Sindh Police spokesman said.
Since emergence of the first case of COVID-19 in Karachi in the last week of February this year, the pandemic has ravaged all parts of Pakistan.
Earlier, SSP Sukkur had released a bi-monthly report on coronavirus cases in the police department, which had confirmed 159 positive cases of the virus in officers and other personnel in the region during two months.
“The infected officers and department staff were posted at 22 police stations of Sukkur district,” the report said. The infected department staff also included personnel in traffic police, according to the report.
“Among total 159 infected policemen, 36 have defeated the coronavirus,” the report said.
The policemen were infected of the coronavirus while performing their duty, SSP Sukkur said. Over 146 inmates and jail staffers were tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Sukkur Central Jail in the end days of June.
According to Sukkur Central Jail authorities, a total of 1600 tests were conducted, of which 146 tested positive for COVID-19. The authorities said that 93 people, out of 146 positive case, were recovered from the disease including 85 prisoners and eight jail staffers.
In May, over 200 inmates and nine warders had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Karachi Central Jail.
The novel coronavirus has claimed 34 more lives and infected as many as 1,452 people during the past 24 hours in Sindh.
In a statement on the COVID-19 situation, CM Murad Ali Shah said that 34 more people succumbed to COVID-19 in past 24 hours, taking the death toll from the disease to 1747.
The chief minister said that 10,815 samples were tested today, which detected 1,452 new cases of COVID-19. He maintained that so far 564,491 tests had been conducted in the province.
Currently, 41,634 patients are under treatment, of them 39,967 in home isolation, 402 at isolation centres, the chief minister said, adding that currently 743 patients were in critical condition, of them 109 had been shifted to ventilators.
Sindh CM said that 1,274 more COVID-19 patients recuperated Saturday.
The graph of coronavirus infection disease is on the decline in Balochistan and 64 percent patients of COVID-19 have recuperated, provincial health department said on Saturday.
According to a spokesperson of Director General Health Balochistan, the tally of recovered patients have increased from the active cases and 64 percent patients of coronavirus have recovered.
During the past 24 hours 193 more patients have recovered in Balochistan as total recuperated patients of coronavirus have reached to 7224, health department spokesperson said.
According to the daily situation report of the Health Directorate, one more patient died in the disease, taking the death toll in the province to 126.
In last 24 hours 275 test conducted in the province and 29 cases of COVID-19 reported, the spokesperson said. The overall tally of infections in Balochistan have now reached to 11,128, the health official said.
Pakistan reported 2,752 coronavirus cases and 65 deaths over the past 24 hours in last 24 hours, taking the national tally of infections to 246,351 and fatalities to 5,123.
The health officials diagnosed 2,752 new cases after 23,569 tests were conducted in 24 hours, according to the National Command and Operation Centre.
88,094 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment while 153,134 patients have recuperated from the disease. 15,148,58 tests have been conducted across the country so far.
In Balochistan overall 11,128 cases have been reported so far, while 102,368 cases have been detected in Sindh, 85,991 in Punjab, 29,775 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 13,927 in Islamabad, 1,532 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 1,630 in Gilgit Baltistan.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar on Saturday said that precautionary measures against coronavirus vital for health protection and continuing employment.
In a tweet on Saturday, he said there were 2,969 corona patients on oxygen and 546 on ventilators across Pakistan as of June 20.
Asad Umar had said, on Friday, this number was reduced to 1762 on oxygen and 394 on ventilator, which is a 28 percent reduction.
He said the success of smart lockdown and administrative action of SOP and, most importantly, better public behaviour is evident. Otherwise, God forbid, we may also face situations like America, Brazil and India.”
