CHAKWAL: With the recovery of two more patients, the confirmed cases in Chakwal district have reduced from eight to two as no new cases have been reported in the district.

On Saturday, two more patients were discharged from the High Dependency Unit of Chakwal District Headquarters Hospital after they tested negative twice.

“By the grace of Allah two women patients recovered and were sent to their homes today,” Deputy Commissioner Chakwal Retired Captain Abdul Sattar Esani told Dawn on Saturday.

He said no new cases were reported on Saturday as Chakwal administration had managed to implement the lockdown effectively.

Thanks to the officials and employees of district administration who are working tirelessly day and night to thwart the spread of the deadly virus in the district, the DC said.

Besides taking other steps, the district administration has also managed to set up a 100-bed field hospital and two quarantine centres each having the capacity of 100 beds in the district to tackle any untoward situation.

The two women recovered on Saturday belonged to Bochal Kalan village located in tehsil Kallar Kahar and were brought to the hospital on April 4 after they contracted the virus from a woman who went to the village from Rawalpindi.

Both women remained asymptomatic during their 21 days stay in the hospital.

Four pilgrims, who tested positive on April 7, were already discharged from the hospital on April 22 after their reports were negative twice.

Meanwhile, a 76-year-old man who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 4 has been quarantined at home on Saturday. “He is also suffering from TB, asthma and diabetes but he is stable,” DC Abdul Sattar Esani said.

“Now we have only one patient in the hospital, a 27-year-old Tableeghi Jamaat member, who tested positive on April 22 and is still asymptomatic,” the DC added.

A senior health official told Dawn that the man who has been quarantined at home was perturbed in the hospital.

“He was a British citizen of Pakistani origin and was being treated in UK for TB and asthma. We have examined his previous record and decided to quarantine him at his home which is located outside of Chakwal city,” the official said and added that the patient and his attendant who is his younger brother were directed to obey the standing operating procedures regarding Covid-19.

Talking to Dawn the younger brother of the patient said that personal protective equipment were provided to him by the district administration and he was strictly following the rules.

“At this house only my elder brother and I are present while my brother is stable,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2020