ISLAMABAD: Seven people lost their lives on Friday while 605 more contracted the virus in the twin cities.

During the last 24 hours, 5,805 tests were conducted in the capital, out of which 447 were contacts of confirmed and 5,358 were suspected patients.

According to the capital administration, two people passed away at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Polyclinic. The deceased were residents of F-6 and Alipur and were in the age group of 60-79.Positivity ratio in the city jumped to 8.1pc from 6.6pc reported on Thursday.

Around 56 cases were reported from Lohi Bher followed by 26 from G-9, 25 from G-10, 23 each from G-11 and I-8, 22 each from G-6 and G-13, 19 from Tarlai,18 from Bhara Kahu, 17 from G-8, 15 each from Khanna, F-7 and F-8, 14 from G-15, 12 from I-9, 11 each from I-10 and Sohan, 10 each from E-11, F-10 and G-5, nine from F-6, seven each from G-7, Rawat and Chak Shahzad, six from F-11, five each from Kurri and Sihala, four each from Koral, Chirah, Kirpa and I-14, three each from Rawal Town, G-14, D-12, E-9 and E-7, two each from H-13, Tarnol, H-8 and Saidpur and one each from Alipur, B-17, Bari Imam, Model Town Humak, Jhangi Syedan, F-17, H-9, H-11, Pind Begwal, Gokina and Tumair.

Around 37 patients were admitted to different hospitals of the capital in the last 24 hours. A total of 334 patients are currently admitted to 15 hospitals of the city out of which 180 are residents of Islamabad. As many as 35 patients are on ventilators while 284 are on oxygen support.

As of now, there are 5,521 active cases of Covid-19 in the capital.

Rawalpindi

Five more people breathed their last in Rawalpindi district on Friday as 131 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 on Friday. Around 88 people were discharged from hospitals after recovering.

Shamim Akhtar, 62-year-old resident of Kahuta, was shifted to Fauji Foundation Hospital on Dec 3 but she passed away on Thursday night; Mohammad Khursheed, 62-year-old resident of Gujar Khan, died in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on Friday, Afsheen Haider, 54-year-old resident of Dhoke Pul Wah Cantonment, breathed her last at Kulsoom International Hopsital, Nazeeda Mushtaq, 69, from Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, was shifted to Holy Family Hospital on Dec 3 where she died on Friday; Mohammad Azhar, 70, from Muslim Town was shifted to Pims where he passed away on Thursday night.

Around 1,221 patients are under treatment in the city out of whom 141 are admitted to various private and public hospitals. At present, 24 patients are under treatment at Holy Family Hospital, three at Hearts International, six in Red Crescent Hospital, 27 in RIU and 14 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

Around 128 of the newly-detected patients belong to Rawalpindi district while the remaining are from other districts.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases during the second wave of the virus, the provincial government directed the district administrations to make arrangements to facilitate patients.

He said there were 445 beds available in government hospitals where 138 patients were under treatment at the moment while the remaining 307 beds were vacant. At the moment, 16 patients are on ventilators while 101 are on oxygen support.

A total of 12,769 people have tested positive for the virus since March including 10,805 in Rawalpindi, 828 in Attock, 743 in Jhelum and 393 in Chakwal.

He said 10,778 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering in the four districts of Rawalpindi Division - 9,157 in Rawalpindi, 693 in Attock, 619 in Jhelum and 309 in Chakwal - and 514 people have passed away.

Attock

Attock saw another seven people testing positive for Covid-19, taking the toll in the district to 828 on Friday.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Jawad Elahi said among the new cases, six belonged to Attock city while one to Hazro, adding that there were 113 patients across the district of whom six were under treatment in hospitals while 107 were under home isolation.

Responding to another question, he said five suspected patients of Covid-19 were being treated at District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital out of whom three were critical and one was stable. The number of suspected patients in the district was 19,496 while screening of 22,947 people had so far been carried out.

Test results of 462 suspected patients are awaited while 18,206 people have tested negative, Dr Elahi said, adding that so far 693 people had recovered in the district.

Meanwhile, the local administration expedited action against violators of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) and sealed a private school and imposing fines on two hotels in Hazro.

Deputy District Officer (Education) Mohammad Afsar Khan, during a surprise check on a private school in Barra village, observed that classes were being conducted despite government order to close all educational institutions.

Furthermore, Assistant Commissioner Shagufta Jabeen imposed Rs10,000 fine on the owners of two hotels for violating SOPs. She also visited filling stations in Hazro and imposed fine of Rs45,000 on their owners for short measuring and selling petrol to consumers in bottles. — Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2020