TAXILA: An 80-year-old man from Ghurghushti village in Attock’s Hazro tehsil died of Covid-19 and was buried according to the safety protocol in Hazro on Tuesday.

District health authorities confirmed that this is the third death caused by Covid-19 in the district.

The district’s focal person for Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi told the press that the patient tested positive for the disease on May 2 and was being treated at a hospital, where he died on Tuesday. He said the deceased had recently returned from Karachi after meeting family.

Another person has also been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Attock, bringing the total number of cases in the district to 52. Dr Niazi said the patient is from Fatehjang tehsil and had travelled to the United Arab Emirates.

He said there are now 1,235 suspected patients; 3,714 people have been screened for the disease, 864 people have tested positive and the results of 319 are awaited.

Six patients are being treated at various health facilities, while 25 people are isolated across the district and are all stable.

Dr Niazi said that seven members of the Tableeghi Jamaat who were suspected Covid-19 patients have tested positive, while 86 have bee discharged and two are quarantined.

Of the 22 pilgrims who recently returned from Iran, nine tested positive but have all recovered and been discharged.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2020