RAWALPINDI: Commissioner Rawalpindi retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood said the number of Covid-19 patients was increasing in the division as 39 more people tested positive in four districts on Sunday.

There is a dire need to educate citizens to follow the precautions and stay indoors and avoid going outside unnecessarily.

He said the government was increasing beds and other facilities in hospitals besides ensuring paramedical staff in the field hospitals.

He said three more field hospitals had been established in Rawalpindi to accommodate more than 550 patients.

He said next two weeks were critical and the government would implement the lockdown to avoid spread of the virus.

He said the government provided maximum healthcare facilities in Rawalpindi division for patients, doctors and paramedical staff.

The district administrations have also been asked to launch campaigns to maintain prices of edibles in the markets and improve the food supply chain in Ramazan.

He said 77 commercial sites were sealed in the division during the raids by price magistrates while Rs147,000 fines imposed on shopkeepers for overcharging.

Meanwhile, two more patients died of the virus in the district while 36 tested positive on Sunday increasing the tally to 423.Kamal Hussain, 74, a resident of Chachi Mohallah, was admitted to a private hospital on April 20 and later he was shifted to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) after he tested positive . The patient died on Sunday.

Farhat Yasmeen, 45, a resident of Mohallah Kocha Nadar Deen, was shifted to Benazir Bhutto Hospital on April 25 where she died at night.

A senior official of the health authority said both the patients were locally affected as they had no travel history.He said family members of the deceased have been quarantined in their houses and their samples sent for test.

“As many as 42 people were on Sunday isolated in the district after detection of 33 more cases while six streets and and as many houses have been sealed,” he said.

At present, 315 patients are admitted to hospitals - 111 at RIU, 12 at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 20 at District Headquarters Hospital and Tehsil headquarters Hospitals, four at Holy Family Hospital and the remaining are at Pims and private hospitals.

According to official data, most of the patients arrived from Kalyam Awan Gujar Khan, Dheri Hasanabad, Dhoke Paracha, Gulraiz, Satellite Town, Wah Cantonment, Amarpura, Raja Zafarul Haq Road, Badar Colony, Dhoke Mangtal and Dhoke Ratta.

The local administration also keep 948 people on quarantine, including 846 isolated in their houses, 29 kept in hospitals and 73 in quarantine centres.

Tableeghi Jamaat’s 160 members are isolated in their houses in Rawalpindi.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2020