RAWALPINDI: A 60-year-old man died of Covid-19 at the isolation ward of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on Thursday.

On the other hand, 42 more patients tested positive for the virus while eight were discharged from Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) after they recovered from the disease.

Besides, a police official tested positive for coronavirus, subjecting all staff members of the Racecourse police station to laboratory testing.

The official was shifted to hospital while his family members were quarantined at their home.

The death toll from the disease in the district reached 13. The deceased belonged to Machiya in Gujar Khan.

Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Anwarul Haq confirmed the death at BBH and said the patient had tested positive on April 21 and was brought to the hospital from Gujar Khan on April 19.

Death toll from Covid-19 rises to 13 while eight patients sent home after recovery

He said the body was shifted to the hometown of the deceased where a selected number of people attended the funeral and buried it.

Meanwhile, 42 more people, including a head constable of Rawalpindi police, tested positive in different parts of district. The district health authorities along with Rescue 1122 shifted the patients to RIU and BBH.

Total eight patients, including two girls and three women, tested positive in Gujar Khan. Six of these patients were detected in Bucha village, one each at a housing scheme and Ward No 15 Gujar Khan.

The official said the infected police official has been shifted to BBH. He was posted to the Racecourse police station.

At present, 196 patients are admitted to hospitals in the Rawalpindi city. As many as 394 suspected patients in hospitals are waiting for results of tests. The local administrations also keep 893 people in quarantine while 809 have been isolated in their houses.

A senior official of the district administration said 148 Tableeghi Jamaat members tested negative while 13 tested positive and reports of 34 others were awaited.

34 confirmed cases in Attock

In Attock, another patient tested positive on Thursday raising the number of confirmed cases to 34.

The patient is an employee of a rig located in Fatehjang where his fellow staff had earlier tested positive and is under treatment.

According to health officials, samples of 11 employees of the rig have also been sent for test.

Focal person for Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi told newsmen that the number of suspected cases in the district increased to 319 while nine patients were on quarantine. Only one patient has so far recovered while two have died.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2020