ISLAMABAD: As many as 91 positive Covid-19 cases were reported in Islamabad and 79 in Rawalpindi on Friday.

With the new patients, the number of positive cases in the capital reached 1326, including 1235 active cases, while Rawalpindi has now 2076 confirmed cases.

Out of the total 1163 active cases in Islamabad, 34 are kept in six hospitals, including Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Federal Government Services Hospital, said officials of the capital administration.

Condition of five patients is critical, they said, adding four patients were on ventilators.

Besides, 49 patients from other districts are also admitted to the hospitals. The condition of 35 of the patients is stable and eight are in critical condition while six are on ventilators. The remaining patients are quarantined in their houses.

The numbers of deaths from the virus and positive cases in the capital are increasing gradually, the officials added.

During the current week, five patients died and 337 new positive cases emerged in the capital.

District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia confirmed to Dawn that 91 more confirmed cases were reported in the capital - 66 male and 25 female.

He said six cases were reported from Bhara Kahu, five each from Sohan, G-9/2, I-10/1, four each from G-11/3, Moorina, Soan Garden, three each from Barma Town, Rawat, G-7/3, Tarali, G-9/3, G-8, G-6/1, two each from G-9/1, Garden Town, Jhandi Sydan, Margalla Town, Chattha Bakhtawar, Koral, Teramri, G-7/4, G-13/1 and one each from Usman Town, CBR Town, Christian Colony, Humak Town, Thanda Pani, Mohalla Naseerabad, PWD Housing Society, Bahria Town Phase III, DHA Phase II, F-11/1, F-10, E-7, I-10/2, E-11/4, I-9/4, H-13, H-11, G-12 and G-10.

Rawalpindi

At least 79 people tested positive, two died and 129 others were discharged in Rawalpindi on Friday, said health officials.

The two deceased, aged 50 and 53 years, were residents of Azizabad and Khanna Pul.

The number of confirmed patients in Rawalpindi reached 2076 while 77 people died and 742 were discharged after recovery.

At present, 1257 confirmed patients are under treatment, including 325 in hospitals and 932 quarantined in their houses.

Apart from this, 532 suspected patients were also brought to three hospitals of Rawalpindi and their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital laboratory and the results are awaited.

The local administrations also keep 3238 people on quarantine. These people had been in close contacts with the confirmed coronavirus patients.

The number of patients is increasing only in the Rawalpindi district compared to the districts of Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal. No new patient was reported from Attock and Chakwal on Friday.

Moreover, 1554 passengers also arrived at quarantine centres set up at Fatima Jinnah Women University and the University of Engineering and Technology Taxila. As many as 436 of these people were from the Rawalpindi division and 1118 from other districts.

These passengers came from abroad through different flights.

They would be discharged after remaining on quarantine for three days.

On Friday, the district administration and the health authority sealed 14 streets, 14 houses and isolated 88 people who were close contacts of those who tested positive on Friday.

Taxila

Health officials said 36 more cases were reported in Taxila on Friday while two patients died of the disease, taking the death toll to eight.

The tally of positive cases in the city has reached 158.

According to health authorities, 13 out of the new cases were close contacts other Covid-19 positive patients. Three were family members of a doctor who tested positive.

Deputy District Officer (health) Dr Sara Qadeer said all the new cases were of local transmission as none of them had a travel history.

Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Faheem said the two patients who died during the last 24 hours were under treatment at the Pakistan Ordnance Factories Hospital in Wah.

One of them was a 62-year-old woman from Sabri Street and was admitted to the hospital on May 9, he added. Six family members of the woman, including her husband and children, have tested negative.

The second patient was a 28-year-old woman from Sector H-10 Wah Cantonment.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2020