LAHORE: In a sudden surge during the last 24 hours, the coronavirus claimed lives of 97 people, as compared to 62 deaths on Saturday in Punjab, taking the total toll in the province to 7,430 so far.

The Punjab government on Sunday reported 3,562 new coronavirus cases, that pushed the total number of Covid patients in the province to 267,572.

The highest number of new case -- 1,748 -- has been reported in Lahore, besides 229 in Faisalabad, 159 in Sargodha, 127 in Chakwal, 125 in Rawalpindi, 123 in Okara, 111 in Nankana Sahib, 107 in Multan, 93 in Sahiwal, 81 in Pakpattan, 57 each in Sialkot and Gujranwala and 56 in Sheikhupura.

Similarly, as per the official data, 47 out of total 97 Covid deaths were reported in Lahore alone, 14 in Rawalpindi, 10 in Faisalabad, eight in Multan, three each in Gujrat and Jehlum, two each in Bahawalpur, Chiniot, Jehlum and Sahiwal and one each in Lodhran, Sargodha, Sheikhupura and Sialkot.

The Punjab primary and secondary healthcare department spokesman says so far 4.278 million tests had been conducted in the province. He added that 216,237 coronavirus patients had so far recovered in Punjab.

Meanwhile, Punjab Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Secretary Nabeel Awan stated that of 6,513 beds reserved in all government-owned hospitals for corona patients, 4,149 were currently unoccupied. Likewise, of 1,607 beds reserved for such patients in the public hospitals in Lahore, 786 are vacant.

He said in view of the surging pandemic, the department has arranged 3,103 beds in isolation wards of all the public hospitals in the province, out of which, 2,378 were vacant. Of 446 beds reserved for the Covid patients in the isolation wards public hospitals of Lahore, 309 were currently unoccupied.

In addition, he said, 2,769 beds had been reserved in the high dependency units (HDUs) for Covid-19 patients in all the public hospitals in the province and of these 1,495 were vacant.

In Lahore’s hospitals, 906 beds were reserved in the HDUs, out of which 435 were unoccupied.

Mr Awan said the department has arranged 640 ventilators for the coronavirus patients in all the public hospitals in the province, out of which 365 were in use while 275 were unoccupied.

He said around 250 ventilators were reserved for the Covid patients in Lahore’s hospitals, of which 209 were occupied and 41 were available for those in need.

RAJANPUR: The Punjab primary and secondary healthcare department has ordered complete closure of commercial activities in the district on Friday and Saturday on the demand of local traders, instead of Saturday and Sunday, as provided in a notification issued on April 15.

On the demand of the local traders and in view of local practice, Rajanpur deputy commissioner had written a letter to the Punjab primary and secondary healthcare department for the concession.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2021