ISLAMABAD: Five people died of Covid-19 in the capital on Wednesday and 178 tested positive for the disease.

Capital administration officials said fewer cases were reported on Wednesday than previous days. Between June 1 and June 9, there were 304, 296, 356, 402, 377, 656, 350 and 456 new cases reported each day in the capital.

At least 5,963 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Islamabad so far, of whom 843 have recovered and 62 have died. There are now 5,058 active cases in the capital.

Since the outbreak, 415 cases were reported from Lohi Bher, 311 from I-8, 309 from G-9, 306 from I-10, 279 from G-7, 267 from G-8, 261 from Tarlai, 257 from Bhara Kahu, 248 from G-6, 243 from G-10, 179 from G-11, 175 from G-13, 163 from Sohan, 159 from F-6, 143 from F-11, 142 from E-11, 138 from Rawat, 136 from I-9, 131 from Khanna, 127 from Chak Shahzad, 118 from F-10 and102 from F-7.

In addition, 93 cases have been reported from F-8, 78 from Alipur, 60 from H-13, 53 from G-5, 52 from Koral, 49 from Jangi Syedan, 44 from Rawal Town, 39 from G-15, 34 from Kirpa, 30 from Bari Imam, 28 each from E-7 and Kuri, 26 each from F-5 and Tarnol, 25 from Shah Allah Dita, 24 from H-11, 20 from G-14, 18 each from B-17, F-15 and H-8, 17 from G-12, 16 each from I-11 and Model Town, 15 each from Chirrah and Saidpur, 14 each from D-12 and E-9, 13 each from E-16, I-14 and Phulgran, 10 each from D-17, F-17 and Pindbegwal, nine from Gokina, eight each from E-18 and Sihala,, five from E-8, four from E-10, three from I-13, two each from B-12 E-14 and I-12, and one each from D-14, D-15, E-15, F-13, G-18, H-10, H-12, H-9, I-16, I-17, I-18, Mumtaz city and Tumair.

Rawalpindi district admin seals 23 shops, imposes Rs89,500 in fines for violations of SOPs

The addresses of the 359 patients are not known, the officials said.

Eight deaths were reported from G-7, four each from G-9 and Sohan, three each from I-10, G-8, Tarlai, G-10 and G-13, two each from from Lohi Bher, Bhara Kahu, G-6, G-11, F-6, E-11, I-9, Jangi Syedan and Kuri and one each from Rawat, F-10, F-7, Alipur, H-13, Koral, Rawal Town, G-15, Tarnol, E-9 and F-17, the officials added, while the addresses of two deceased patients are not known.

District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia said that 456 patients were reported in Islamabad on June 9. The District Health Office traced 528 contacts of these patients, and has collected samples from 280 of them to test for Covid-19.

All 456 patients have been isolated at home and the 280 contacts have been quarantined at home, he said, adding that there have been 57 deaths so far and 843 recoveries that have been notified.

He said the daily rise in cases is alarming.

45 diagnosed with Covid-19 in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi reported 45 new cases of Covid-19 and four more deaths on Wednesday.

A 55-year-old man who lived in Bhusa Manid Dharampura died on June 10 at the District Headquarters Hospital, and a 70-year-old man who lived in Tench Bhatta died at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH). In addition, a 65-year-old woman who lived in Bangash Colony died at Holy Family Hospital and a 70-year-old man who lived in Morgah died at the Combined Military Hospital.

The number of confirmed cases in Rawalpindi district has reached 3,056, while 117 people have died and 1,502 have recovered. There are currently 1,437 patients being treated of whom 397 are in the four government-run hospitals in the city. A total of 1,038 patients are isolated at home.

Another 1,266 suspected patients have also been brought to Rawalpindi’s three hospitals and their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Health and the BBH laboratory for testing.

The district administration on Wednesday sealed 23 shops and imposed Rs89,500 in fines for violations of standard operating procedures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that the government has asked the administration not to tolerate any negligence when it comes to precautions issued by the government for visitors to markets and public areas.

He said that the number of patients has been increasing every day and while hospitals have the facilities to accommodate patients, people need to be informed about safety measures.

He said that markets and transporters should behave responsibly and help the government implement SOPs to contain the coronavirus.

Mr Mehmood said 23 shops were sealed for violating SOPs in Rawalpindi district, two shops were sealed in Attock, four in Jhelum and 52 in Chakwal. A total Rs89,500 in fines were imposed in the four districts of Rawalpindi division.

Two dead in Taxila, Attock

Two Covid-19 patients died in Taxila and Attock each on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 15 and 13, respectively.

Health authorities said a 66-year-old resident of Sector 20-H in Wah and a 63-year-old resident of Hassanabdal died of Covid-19.

There have now been 252 reported cases of the disease in Taxila after a frontline health worker, a doctor, tested positive for the disease as well.

According to data released by Taxila’s health authorities, 69 people have recovered from the disease so far, 17 are being treated in hospitals and 153 are isolated at home.

In Attock, 243 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 as of Wednesday.

Eight new cases have been reported, seven from Attock city and one from Hazro, the district’s focal person for Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi said. The results of 369 suspected patients are also awaited.

Currently, 12 people are being treated in hospitals, eight are isolated in quarantine facilities, seven are migrant workers who returned from the United Arab Emirates and 124 are isolated at home.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2020