PESHAWAR: The provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa became the country’s second district after Karachi to surpass 100 deaths from novel coronavirus (Covid-19) as nine more residents died of the virus on Saturday.

Overall, the province recorded 11 new Covid-19 deaths, which took its overall tally of fatalities to 172.

Of them, nine were reported in Peshawar and two each in Swat and Nowshera districts, said the health department’s daily Covid-19 situation report.

According to officials, Peshawar’s Covid-19 deaths total 105 with 9.9 per cent case fatality rate (CFR), the highest recorded by any district in the country.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s CFR is 5.91pc, which is the highest in any province or region in the country. The nationwide Covid-19 fatality rate is only 2.3pc.

Province’s tally of fatalities from Covid-19 reaches 172

Peshawar has seven per cent (1,066) of the countrywide burden of the confirmed coronavirus cases.

Lahore has the highest case burden in the country i.e. 26pc, while Karachi’s percentage is 14, says the World Health Organisation.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district accounts for 2pc (184) of the nationwide Covid-19 cases.

The district has the second largest death toll from the virus i.e. 14.

Mardan district has so far recorded eight coronavirus deaths and 173 confirmed cases.

According to the health department’s report, the province recorded 108 new confirmed patients taking the province’s total count to 2,907.

Thirty-eight patients recovered from the infection in the province, so the number of such cases totals 828.

Peshawar’s tally of conformed Covid-19 cases reached 1,066 after 57 residents tested positive for the virus.

With the exception of Upper Kohistan and Kolai Palas, the virus has become endemic in all Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts.

Peshawar division has recorded 114 deaths, Malakand 28, Hazara and Mardan 10 each, Kohat seven, and Dera Ismail and Bannu one each.

Overall, the country has conducted 929 Covid-19 tests per one million population.

The tests in Islamabad total 5,825 per 1m, Gilgit-Baltistan’s 2,159, Gilgit-Baltistan’s 2,159, Sindh’s 1,206, Punjab’s 808, Balochistan’s 796, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 638 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s 508.

TESTING CAPACITY: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said his government has scaled up the province’s testing capacity for coronavirus to around 1,500 per day during the last 45 days and efforts are afoot to double it in next few days.

He was speaking to health minister Taimur Khan Jhagra during a meeting.

The two discussed matters relating to Covid-19 epidemic and the measures being taken to manage patients and increase diagnostics.

The health minister informed the chief minister about the revised testing policy recently notified by his department and said several private sector service providers were being engaged to help the government take the testing capacity to 5,000 per day.

The chief minister termed the initiative an important step to effectively deal with the pandemic and called for the implementation of the guidelines in letter and spirit.

Under the revised policy, top priority has been accorded to the diagnosis and safety of the frontline workers to ensure that doctors, nurses and paramedics stay healthy and perform duty with dedication during the Covid-19 epidemic.

Our Correspondent from Nowshera adds: A constable of the bomb disposal unit, Nowshera, died of Covid-19 on Saturday.

The 36-year-old was admitted to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital after he tested positive for the virus few days ago.

The body was shifted to Charsadda district, where he will be laid to rest by the local administration.

The police paid tribute to the deceased over his meritorious services for the department and assured his family of financial support.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2020