LAHORE: At least 45 Covid-19 patients died in Punjab during the last 24 hours, the highest death toll figure in a day so far during the second spike of the pandemic.

The same number of Covid deaths was reported in June 20202 when the virus wave was at its peak in Punjab. On June 8, the virus had claimed the lives of 32 patients, on 9th 48 and on June 10 34 people had succumbed to it in Punjab.

From the first week of June to 30th June, the province witnessed a high spike in new positive cases and the average death toll in a day was 50.

The Punjab’s highest death toll in a day was reported 86 on June 25, according to the official figures.

From the first week of July the pandemic was at its peak and it started declining onwards. Till Sept it had almost reached its lowest.

Since the start of second wave in Oct, the death toll has been increasing with every passing day and Tuesday’s official figures of 45 deaths raised an alarm, especially for the health authorities.

Drawing a comparison between the first and the second wave of the virus, medical experts said the recent one appeared to be more lethal.

They said though the number of positive cases being reported these days was less than that of earlier waves, the number virus-related deaths was alarmingly high in the current spike.

Most of the patients visiting the doctors were complaining of short breath or had low saturation, they said and suggested to the patients to visit hospitals before developing complications.

With 45 fresh fatalities, the virus death toll in the province has reached 3,036, and in Lahore 1,211, according to Tuesday’s official update.

Of the new deaths, most --16 -- occurred in Lahore, 14 in Rawalpindi and six in Sargodha. Others were reported in Faisalabad, Attock, Bahawalpur and Bhakar.

Meanwhile, 543 more people tested positive for the virus during the last 24 hours in Punjab, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 119,578 so far.

Of the new cases, 219 were reported in Lahore, 62 in Rawalpindi and 47 in Multan, while others were reported in Jhelum, Chiniot, Jhang, Chakwal, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Sialkot, Sargodha, Attock, Norowal, Rajanpur, Layyah, Khanewal, Gujrat, Khushab, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Toba Tek Singh, etc.

A spokesperson for the health department said total 15,356 Covid-19 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours in Punjab.

He said the Punjab government had issued various warnings to the public to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines on the reports that the virus was spreading fast mostly because of their violations.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2020