LAHORE: The City District Administration says the number of confirmed coronavirus patients is 67.

It further says since the situation related to Covid-19 pandemic in the provincial capital is under control, the number of suspected patients admitted to various hospitals in the city is 56 as of March 26.

“I think the situation in Pakistan’s second largest city is under control as we currently have 67 confirmed Covid-19 patients here. Moreover, there were 230 suspects, out of whom 174 were discharged after their tests appeared negative. The remaining 56 suspects are admitted to various hospitals as their coronavirus tests are under process these days,” Lahore DC Danish Afzaal told Dawn on Thursday.

According to a report compiled by the Lahore administration, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 patients was 72, out which two expired, including one at a private hospital. Three patients were discharged after they recovered. As many as 59 of the remaining 67 are currently admitted to various public sector hospitals. This includes 38 at Mayo, 12 at PKLI, two at Jinnah, three at Services, one at CMH and three at National Hospital. The rest eight are under treatment at various private health facilities.

It says that the admin, in a bid to create awareness to help people avert the virus, distributed 3,200 masks and 1,000 sanitisers in city tehsil, 3,500 masks and 580 sanitisers in Raiwind tehsil, 45,000 masks in Cantt tehsil and 31,200 masks and 5,500 santisers in Model Town tehsil.

The report says the city admin, in association with the Rescue 1122, carried out chlorine spray at 941 places including a number of roads so as to minimise chances of Covid-19 spread. The areas washed with chlorine water included Regal Chowk, Beadon Road, Mall Road, Cooper Road, Anarkali, Nabha Road, AG Office, IG Office, Secretariat to Data Darbar, Peer Makki, Judicial Academy, Nasser Bagh, GC University, Old Anarkali, Rang Mahal, Abid Market, CM House, Shadman, Tollinton, Mozang, Johar Town, Gulberg, Raiwind Road, Qila Gujjar Singh, railway station, all hospitals, Shimla Pahari, Allama Iqbal Road, Police Lines, Township, Jail Road, Khokhar Chowk, G-1 Market, Badami Bagh, Ik Moria Pul, Expo Centre, New Campus Lorri Adda, Mughalpura, Wassanpura, Harbanspura, Canal Road, Multan Road, Thokar Niaz Baig, Ferozepur Road, Shaukat Khanum Hospital and Awain-i-Iqbal.

“We have established a quarantine centre at Kala Shah Kaku and a 1000-bed field hospital at Johar Town Expo Centre. At quarantine centre, we have planned to house all suspects whereas Expo Centre will have only confirmed patients. And if you say our entire capacity to treat the coronavirus patients, it is over 2,200 in Lahore,” the DC Afzal said.

He said it was encouraging to see that 95pc of the confirmed Covid-19 patients are stable according to reports being shared with the administration on a daily basis. Similarly, he said, many of the suspects (1,250 pilgrims including one family belonging to Lahore) quarantined at Multan and DG Khan are likely to be negative.

“Currently their tests are under way as each suspect is to pass through test three times within 14 days. Reports reaching to us are so far encouraging,” he added.

The DC said though there was shortage of testing kits in Lahore, the city hospitals are not facing load of suspects these days. “The people in Lahore are okay as almost all have no typical symptoms of coronavirus.”

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2020

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