LAHORE: Sixty-three more Covid-19 patients breathed their last in Punjab during the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll in the province to 1,265.
Of them, 29 deaths were reported in Lahore, nine in Rawalpindi, seven in Faisalabad, three in Multan etc. The total number of deaths reached 442 in Lahore, 114 in Faisalabad, 101 in Multan and 232 in Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases reached 61,678 after 1,540 more people tested positive for the virus during the last 24 hours.
According to the official figures, released by the health department on Friday, of the new cases, 879 were reported in Lahore, 108 in Multan, 76 in Faisalabad, 75 in Rawalpindi and 72 in Gujranwala. Other cases were reported from Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Khanewal, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Rahim Yar Khan, Attock, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bahawalnagar, Bhakkar etc.
Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid met World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Director Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala at the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department here on Friday.
She received three PCR machines given away by the WHO. The minister discussed the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic and the treatment being provided to the patients in Punjab hospital.
Ms Rashid said Punjab had enhanced the testing capacity manifold by adding eight BSL-3 Labs in the province. She said the SOPs of the WHO were being fully implemented and claimed that Punjab had been able to fight the pandemic due to the efforts of the team.
Dr Mahipala appreciated the commitment of Dr Rashid for the control of the pandemic.
Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2020
