PESHAWAR: With the death of six more persons following contracting Covid-19 across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising the death toll from the infection to 80 in the province, a cameraperson of a private television channel in Peshawar also contracted the deadly virus.

Pirhari village of Battagram has also been declared quarantine by the administration after seven family members of a person, who had died of Covid-19, were also tested positive. Police have sealed all the entry and exit points to the village to contain spread of Covid-19.

Of the newly-recorded deaths, two each belonged to Peshawar and Swat and one each hailed from Mardan and Swabi, accordgn to a daily situation report released by the health department.

The report said that the province’s tally of confirmed cases reached 1,345 with 69 new cases during the corresponding period. It said that 335 active patients so far recovered from the ailment including 33 during the last 24 hours.

Peshawar has so far recorded 39 deaths from the deadly virus followed by Swat with 10 and Mardan with five deaths. Three cases each have been registered in Nowshera, Mansehra Kohat and Abbottabad, Swabi, Dir Lower while Malakand and Kurram have recorded two deaths each. Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Shangla, Buner and Mohmand have recorded one death each.

Cameraperson of private TV channel tests positive for virus

Except Chitral Upper, Kohistan Lower and Upper and Kolai Palas, all districts have become infected with the virus. Peshawar has 391 cases, Mardan has 120, Swat has 84, Buner has 81, Dir Upper has 74, Mansehra has 58, Kohat has 56 and Abbottabad has 41 cases.

Meanwhile, a local cameraperson of a private TV channel also tested positive for the Covid19 in provincial capital. The cameraperson was reportedly covering Covid-19 patients.

The cameraman had visited Police Services Hospital Peshawar after developing symptoms where samples were taken from him. He told reporters that on Wednesday he received a telephone call from the hospital, telling him that he had tested positive for Covid-19.

The administration of Lady Reading Hospital also banned media coverage on the hospital premises after the cameraman tested positive for coronavirus.

A statement issued here said that the cameraman had visited LRH media office after developing symptoms and the staff had advised him to undergo Covid-19 test.

It quoted LRH hospital director Dr Khalid Masud as saying that they were thinking of conducting tests of its media office staff.

In Charsadda, first death of coronavirus patient was recorded as a resident of the district died in LRH Peshawar on Wednesday. He was buried at his ancestral graveyard in Charsadda under the SOPs set for burial of Covid-19 patients.

Dr Feroz Shah, focal person for Covid-19 in Charsadda, said that the deceased was declared positive on April 13 and later shifted to LRH.

The deceased basically belonged to Mehmoodabad Koruna in Charsadda was residing in Mardan district. He has a shop in Manga area in Mardan where the first-ever casualty of the virus in the country was reported and a large number of other people got infected.

Deputy Commissioner Adeel Shah and DHO Dr Mohammad Idrees said that funeral prayer of the deceased was offered and other burial rituals were performed according to the SOPs. They said that the area was declared quarantined. They said that medical team took swab samples of the family members of the deceased for test.

They said that the wife and son of the deceased also tested positive for the virus.

In Battagram, seven family members of a Covid-19 victim, who died on Friday night, tested positive on Wednesday.

According to the head of Covid-19 control room, Khalid Khan, after the death of Covid-19 patient, whose test result was received after his death, the health officials collected swab samples of his family members as well as deputy medical superintendent of district headquarters hospital for their contact with the patient and were sent for laboratory test.

The test results of the seven family members of the deceased were positive, including his wife, three sons, daughter-in-law and two nephews.

Deputy Commissioner Altaf Hussain, when contacted, said that the deceased was confirmed patient of Covid-19 and was quarantined in Islamabad but he escaped from the centre there and hid at Babul Islam seminary where his son was a prayer leader. His son brought him back to Battagram.

He said that at Oghi-Battagram entry point, the deceased was reported with high fever after which rapid response team visited his house and took him to district headquarters hospital where he died.

The official said that Pirhari village was declared quarantine as police sealed all the entry and exit points to the village to contain spread of Covid-19.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2020