LAHORE: The Covid-19 claimed the lives of 22 more patients across the province during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 497 in Punjab so far.

Of them 11 died in Lahore, the worst-hit city where the total number of deaths due to the virus reached 199.

Meanwhile, 1,184 more patients tested positive for the virus during the last 24 hours across the province, including 727 in Lahore.

A deputy inspector general of police (DIG) and 15 other police personnel were also among those reported positive for the virus in Punjab besides 12 doctors and two nurses.

The total number of confirmed cases reached 26,240 in Punjab and 12,940 in Lahore, according to official figures released on Monday.

A spokesperson for the health department said most of the deaths and cases were being reported from Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sargodha and Gujrat.

He said the total number of health professionals confirmed as Covid patients in Punjab had reached 400 on Monday.

He said samples of 2,194 health professionals were sent to labs and the result showed 17 per cent (400) of them positive for the virus.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2020