• 10 succumb to virus in Islamabad
• Commissioner says cases increased in last 12 days in Pindi district

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital recorded the highest death toll after 10 patients lost their battle with Covid-19 on Saturday.

Talking to Dawn, Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said this was the highest toll reported since the outbreak of the virus in Islamabad.

He said the capital had earlier reported eight deaths in a day twice — on Nov 21 and Nov 26. Seven deaths were also reported on June 16.

Five of the deaths on Saturday were reported from Pims, two from Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre (IHITC) and one each from three other hospitals, including Polyclinic.

Three of the patients were in the age group of 60-69 and 70-79, two in 80-89 and one each in 40-49 and 50-59, said the officials, adding that three of the deceased were women. Two each were residents of Loi Bher and G-5, and one each of G-11, G-15, E-9 and G-12. The addresses of the remaining two were not known.

Since the outbreak, 368 people have died of Covid-19 in the capital.

Besides, 49 residents of the capital died in other districts. On Friday, a decrease was seen in the number of Coivd19 cases as 286 people tested positive compared to 319 on Friday.

Twenty-five cases were reported from Loi Bher, 18 from G-6, 17 from Tarlai, 14 from G-7, 13 each from Bhara Kahu and G-9, 11 each from G-10, G-13 and I-10, 10 each from I-8 and G-11, nine from G-8, eight each from F-11, Chak Shahzad, Kurri and B-17, seven each from Rawat and F-7, six each from E-11, Sohan and Koral, five from Khanna, four each from G-15, Kirpa and Model Town Humak, three each from G-5, D-12, F-15 and Gokina, two each from F-8, F-6, F-10, D-17, I-14, G-16 and I-12, and one each from I-9, Rawal Town, G-14, Chirrah, H-13, Sihala, F-5, Bari Imam, H-12, F-17, E-8, Pind Begwal, I-11 and Tumair.

Officials of the National Health Services said the number of positive cases reported in the capital on Saturday was the third-highest among all the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK.

The highest number of cases — 1,489 — was reported from Sindh, followed by 629 from Punjab, 286 from Islamabad, 232 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 46 from Balochistan, 42 from AJK and five from GB.

On the other hand, Rawalpindi Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood said the number of patients in the district had increased from Nov 30 to Dec 12 as 1,548 patients tested positive in the last 12 days with 72 people losing their lives.

Besides, 1,200 people were also discharged from hospitals after recovering during this period.

Talking to Dawn, the commissioner said in view of the rising number of patients, more space had been created in hospitals on the directives of the Punjab government.

“In Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU), 300 beds and 24 ventilators were available while Benazir Bhutto Hospital has 100 beds and 18 ventilators. Similarly, 100 beds and 15 ventilators are available in Holy Family Hospital, 120 beds and three ventilators in Red Crescent Hospital, 10 beds and two ventilators in Bilal Hospital, 20 beds and four ventilators in Heart International Hospital and 120 beds and four ventilators are available in Bahria Hospital,” he said.Meanwhile, 389 more people contracted Covid-19 in the twin cities while three lost their lives in Rawalpindi district on Saturday.

According to information released by the district administration, Rakhan Jan, 65, from Kallar Syedan, was brought to Fauji Foundation Hospital on Dec 11 where he succumbed to the virus on Saturday. Qazi Abdul Raheem, 70, from Afzal Town near Chaklala Scheme-III, was taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) with symptoms of Covid-19 on Dec 11 but died on Saturday.

Mohammad Anjum, 60, a resident of Barsata Kahuta village, lost his struggle with the virus at the Holy Family Hospital on Saturday where he had been admitted on Dec 11.

The district saw another 103 people getting infected, including six from outside the district.

As many as 1,241 confirmed patients were being treated in the district with 207 in hospitals and 1,029 home isolated.

Attock

The tally of positive cases crossed the 800 mark in Attock district as the authorities swung into action on Saturday against violators of standard operating procedures (SOPs).

As many as 11 more people were infected on Saturday taking the total figure in the district to 893.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Jawad Elahi said the new cases were detected in Attock city.

He said the number of active patients in the district was 132 out of which 126 were home isolated.

Education authorities, on public complaints, raided two private schools in Kamra and sealed them for continuing with academic activities despite government orders to close all educational institutions.

The officials found the students not wearing masks and no hand sanitiser facility was available at the premises.

District Education Authority Chief Executive Dr Javaid Iqbal told newsmen that during the current month, 12 educational institutions had so far been sealed for defying ban on closure of educational institutions.

In Hassanabdal, Assistant Commissioner Zunaira Jalil paid a surprise visit to various markets and shops and sealed two for not taking precautionary measures.

Assistant Commissioner Shagufta Jabeen visited a government school in Chachi village in Hazro and found female students present there.— Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2020