LAHORE: With 13 more deaths, 815 new cases of the coronaviurs have surfaced in Punjab during the last 24 hours, as per official statistics released on Monday, amid the experts’ warnings of an alarming increase in the infections.

Of the new cases, 526 were reported in Lahore, while a majority of others in Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

So far, the total number of the positive cases in Punjab have reached 177,823, while of related deaths 5,565, according to the Punjab government’s update.

The medical experts from various hospitals have warned that almost 90 per cent of the total beds reserved for the Covid-19 patients at the high dependency units of the state-run health facilities of Punjab have been occupied due to the recent surge in the infection cases.

They said the situation was also getting bad to worse in the intensive care units of the same hospitals, where the patients with Covid-related complications were being brought in a large number.

A senior official of the health department said the Punjab government’s hospitals were reporting an alarming situation because of the increasing number of the Covid-19 patients.

He warned if new cases continued to increase at the present pace, the government would have to expand the bed ratio and treatment facilities for the Covid-19 patients. These facilities at the public hospitals were yet to be reviewed, he added, seeking anonimity.

He said the Sunday’s count of 1,044 new cases in Punjab was highly alarming, adding that the number was last time reported in the province during the peak of the infection in June, last year.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2021