RAWALPINDI: Though there was no new confirmed Covid-19 case, 30 suspected patients landed at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

Moreover, one suspected coronavirus patient was admitted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Jhelum.

The administration and health teams conducted screening of 64 people who had been in contacts with the suspected patients and sent their samples to the National Institute of Health (NIH).The BBH is working as a filter clinic for the coronavirus patients while confirmed patients are being kept at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU).

At present, 54 confirmed patients are admitted to the RIU - 46 local residents and eight from other cities. Two people with the virus are admitted to the DHQ hospital Attock and 27 to DHQ hospital Jhelum.

At present 54 confirmed patients are admitted to RIU

The local administrations are also keeping 58 people in quarantines in Rawalpindi, four in Attock and 54 in Jhelum. Apart from this, total 383 people have been isolated in their houses - 180 in Rawalpindi, 198 in Attock and five in Jhelum.

A senior official of the local administration told Dawn that the administrations of the four districts also shifted 32 members of Jableeghi Jamaat to quarantines in Rawalpindi and 35 in Chakwal.

He said as per directions of the provincial government, the Tableeghi Jamaat’s 694 members had been sent to their home districts - 283 in Attock, 36 in Jhelum and 375 in Chakwal after screening them. He said most of the patients had come from Bahria Town, Safari Villa, Bilal Colony, Dhoke Paracha, Gulraiz Colony, Satellite Town, Magistrate Colony, Dhoke Kashmirian, Raja Bazaar, Dhoke Mangtal, Chakri Road, British Homes Peshawar Road, Gujar Khan and adjoining areas.

“At present, four colonies have been sealed in Rawalpindi city while the health department and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company are working to disinfect the areas on a daily basis,” he said.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that the administrations of the four districts had been directed to maintain the data of the persons affected by the virus and immediately disinfect their areas and ensure safety measures.

He said the government had directed to avoid rush in markets and in this regard all shops were being closed by 8pm. He said people should adopt safety measures to save themselves and their near and dear ones from the virus.

Meanwhile, the commissioner visited the command and control centre of the Rawalpindi district and inspected the arrangements to deal with Covid-19 and directed the administration to prepare a mobile phone application (app) to monitor the work of the field staff who were screening people and disinfecting areas.

He said through the application patients would be registered and in case anyone tested positive they would be shifted to hospital immediately.Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq said there were 54 confirmed patients in Rawalpindi. He said the administration was working to update the data on a daily basis and providing all facilities to the patients and people in their houses.

He said teams had also been formed to monitor prices in the district.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2020