TAXILA: Three more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Attock on Saturday, raising the number of patients in the district to 41.

According to health officials, the new confirmed cases are of local transmission and were reported from Kamra Kallan village.

District focal person on Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi told newsmen that one person had come from Tableegh and tested positive for the virus and these new patients were native of the same village and had accompanied him. He said these people were already quarantined.

Dr Niazi said the number of suspected cases in the district increased to 549 while samples of 129 had been sent for test. He said 40 people were under observation in different quarantine centre and 18 of them belonged to Tableeghi jamaat, one had returned from Iran and 21 were locals.

He said so far 67 members of Tableeghi Jamaat have completed their quarantine across the district and were sent home.

Responding to question, he said nine positive patients had recovered and nine others were under treatment at the district headquarters hospital and their condition was stable.

Meanwhile, a coronavirus patient died in Taxila on Saturday raising the death toll in the city to three.

Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Faheem said the 55-year-old patient from Pind Gondal owned kebab shop at Taxila Chowk.

He had tested positive on April 17 and was shifted to a hospital in Islamabad where he expired on Saturday.

He was buried under Covid-19 precautionary protocol by health and Rescue 1122 staff in his native village.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2020