ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: A further decrease was recorded in the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases as 63 people tested positive on Tuesday.

Officials said out of the 63, as many as 41 were male and 22 female patients.

Eight of the cases were reported from Tarlai, seven from Bhara Kahu, four each from Sihala, I-8, E-11, three each from Shahzad Town, Khanna I-10, G-7, G-11, two each from Soan Garden, G-9, Bahria Town, one each from Margalla Town, Humak, Hamza Town, H-8, H-11, Ghouri Town, G-6, G-8, G-10, G-13, F-6, F-10, D-17 and E-8.

On Monday, there were 85 positive cases in the city. The district health officer traced 259 contacts of these confirmed patients and collected samples from 215 of them and sent for laboratory testing.

All the 85 cases have been home isolated and their 215 contacts home quarantined.

50pc beds allocated for coronavirus patients lie vacant in Pindi hospitals, commissioner says

On Tuesday, six shops were sealed over violation of SOPs made to prevent the spread of Covid-19 while fines amounting to Rs20,000 were also imposed on owners of other shops. Individuals were also caught violating the SOPs and fined Rs1,900.

Rawalpindi

As many as 31 people tested positive in the garrison city taking the tally to 5,986 while one patient died and 20 others were discharged from hospitals after their recovery.

Officials identified the deceased as a 39-year-old resident of Pirwadhai. He was admitted to Holy Family Hospital on July 3 where he died on Tuesday morning.

The number of confirmed patients in Rawalpindi reached 5,986 while 246 people have died and 4,369 discharged after recovery. At present, 1,371 confirmed patients are under treatment, including 620 in the hospitals and 751 isolated in their houses.

Apart from this, 247 suspected patients were admitted to four hospitals and their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Holy Family Hospital laboratories and results are awaited.

District health authority officials said 3,194 people tested negative and 1,458 positive in the last week. They said that samples of all close contacts of the confirmed patients had been sent for Covid-19 serology.

The local administrations also keep 6,400 people in quarantines who had been close contacts of the confirmed patients and 3,848 of them have been sent home.

The test results of 247 people who returned from abroad are yet to be received even after a month but these patients have already been sent to their hometowns three weeks ago.

Meanwhile, 11 shops were sealed in Raja Bazaar and adjoining markets for violating the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Assistant commissioners imposed Rs43,500 fines on shopkeepers found violating the SOPs.

Total 44 vehicles were impounded and the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) imposed Rs47,000 fines on public transporters for violating SOPs.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood said there was no shortage of beds in government hospitals and more than 50pc beds allocated for coronavirus were still vacant and there were also enough medicines.

He said that there was no shortage of oxygen and ventilators in the hospitals and the government wanted to increase the number in the coming days.

The commissioner said administrations of four districts in the Rawalpindi division had been directed to strictly implement the standard operating procedures in offices, shops and public places and in this regard, the Prime Minister’s Tiger Force was working to create awareness among the people.

He said special teams under the supervision of the assistant commissioners had been formed to check the violations in the four districts.

Attock

As many as 11 more people tested positive in Attock on Tuesday, taking the number of confirmed cases in the district to 466.

District focal person for Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi said three of the new patients belonged to Attock city, seven to Hazro and one to Fatehjang. He said at present the number of active patients in the district was 298.

Mr Niazi said the number of suspected cases also increased to 3,608 while screening of 7,189 people was carried out so far in which 2,847 tested negative. He said the results of 295 suspected patients were awaited.

He said at present 10 positive patients were under treatment in different hospitals and two of them are critical.

Out of the 466 positive patients, 152 are home isolated and all are asymptomatic while 298 patients have recovered so far. — Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2020