ISLAMABAD: Five more lost battle against Covid-19 in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday.

In Islamabad three casualties and 146 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported.

Officials of the capital administration said out of the three deaths two were reported from hospitals, including Pims. One patient died outside the district.

Two of the deceased were residents of I-10 and Alipur while the address of the third was not known. The deceased were in the age group of 40-49, 50-59 and 70-79.

During the last 24 hours, 4433 tests were conducted and 146 of them turned out to be positive. The positivity rate was 3.29 per cent.

The officials said 18 cases were reported from Bhara Kahu, 16 from Loi Bher, 15 from Rawat, six each from G-9, F-10, five each from G-6, F-6, G-5, four each from I-8, G-10, Tarlai, E-11, Khanna, Rawal Town, three each from G-13, G-8, I-9, Alipur, G-15, two from G-11, G-7. F-11, I-10, Chak Shahzad, Kuri, Model Town Humak, Sihala, Chirrah, Bari Imam and one each from Sohan, F-7, Koral, H-13, G-14, D-17, Kirpa, Jhangi Syedan, I-12, D-14.

Rawalpindi

Two patients died and 52 people tested positive in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Suhail Faraz, 42, resident of Takht Pari, was brought to Holy Family Hospital on Dec 29 where he died on Thursday.

Mujtaba Ghafoor, 20, resident of Kallar Syedan, was hospitalised at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on Dec 30 where he died on late Wednesday night.

As many as 818 active patients are in the district - 117 in hospitals and 701 home isolated. Moreover, 464 patients are waiting for their results.

In 2020, as many as 12844 confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported in Rawalpindi while 11439 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery and 540 people died.

Commissioner Muhammad Mehmood told Dawn that the highest number of Covid-19 patients (553) was reported in the third week of June.

However, he said that the number of patients reduced when from Aug 15 to Aug 22 only 16 patients tested positive.

The second surge hit Rawalpindi district in November and from Nov 22 to 28, as many as 882 patients were detected in the district which was the highest.

But the number gradually decreased and on Dec 31, 52 cases were reported. Though the number has decreased, no let-up is seen in the causalities as daily two to five people succumbed to the disease.

The commissioner said standard operating procedures had been implemented in all government and private offices as well as banks and other public offices.

However, he said that there was still a need to implement the SOPs in bazaars and other public places. It is the responsibility of the citizens to adopt the safety measures.

He said that the district administrations were working day and night but their efforts would not be fruitful if people did not cooperate with them.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2021