RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: The federal capital reported 414 Covid-19 cases in a single day on Tuesday, the highest after over three months.

Rawalpindi district, on the other hand, saw 133 people contracting the virus and three breathing their last.

The positivity ratio in Islamabad remained unchanged at 7.7pc.

According to officials of the capital administration, the last time Islamabad recorded such a high number was on Dec 6, 2020 when 422 cases surfaced.

Recoveries of 257 patients were reported in the capital, officials said, adding that the total number of confirmed casessince the start of the pandemic had reached4,495. So far 44,409 patients had recovered and 526 people passed away from the disease,they added.

Positivity ratio remains at 7.7pc; three die in Rawalpindi

According to the Rawalpindi administration, Mazloom Bibi, 65, a resident of Kallar Syedan, was brought to Fauji Foundation Hospital on March 4 where she died on Tuesday.

Naeem Ishaq, 80, a resident of Askari-14, also breathed his last at Fauji Foundation Hospital where he was brought on March 15.Ali Rehman, 70, from Landa Bazaar Iqbal Road, was shifted toPakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims)on March 15 where he succumbed to the virus on Monday night.

In Rawalpindi district, there are 792 active patients at present with 143 in hospitals and 649 isolated in their homes. As many as 538 patients are waiting for the results of their coronavirus serology.

A total of 34 new patients came from cantonment, 32 from Potohar Town and 38 from Rawal Town while four patients arrived from Gujar Khan, six from Taxila and one patient each from Kahuta and Kotli Sattian.

Around 25 patients are admitted to Holy Family Hospital, 17 are under treatment in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 65 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, 31 in Fauji Foundation Hospital, one each in Attock Hospital Rawalpindi and Hearts International Hospital and three patients are being treated in Red Crescent Corona Care Hospital.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that the number of patients increased in the division and most of the new patients were from Rawalpindi district.

“There is no shortage of beds in hospitals in Rawalpindi Division’s four districts as 5,445 patients can be accommodated. The provincial government directed hospitals to make arrangements of additional beds in case the number of patients increases in the coming days,” he said.

The district administrations of Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal have been directed to ensure that standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed in their respective areas to avoid further spread of the disease.

He said there are 11 patients on ventilators in Rawalpindi, 69 required oxygen support and 63 are stable.

Around 18,989 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since March 2020 including 15,350 in Rawalpindi (13,974 from the district and 1,376 from outside), 1,369 in Attock (1,328 from the district and 31 from outside), 1,617 in Jhelum and 663 in Chakwal.

The commissioner said 17,211 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the four districts including 13,884 in Rawalpindi (12,577 from the district and 1,307 from outside), 1,276 in Attock (1,245 from the district and 31 from outside), 1,480 in Jhelum and 571 in Chakwal.

Around817 people have died in the division in the last one year with 674 in Rawalpindi, 27 in Attock, 45 in Jhelum and 71 in Chakwal.

Seven test positive in Attock

Despite the fact that the administration has imposed lockdown across the district after an alarming increase in novel coronavirus cases especially among teachers and students, seven more people were diagnosed with the disease during the last 24 hours.

Out of these newly-detected patients, two belong to the same school where a female teacher had already tested positive. The school was disinfected and later sealed. Five other cases were reported from the city.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Jawad Elahi said the number of active patients in the district was 56 out of which 53 are home isolated while three others are hospitalised.He said two suspected patients are also admitted in the hospital. The number of suspected patients in the district rose to 26,735 while screening of 29,987 persons was carried out across the district out of whom 25,324 tested negative.

Responding to a question, he said test results of 52 suspected patients are awaited.— Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2021