PESHAWAR: Though Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 36 deaths from coronavirus on Thursday, the Covid-19 positivity level in Mardan came down to 14 per cent from 23.3 per cent in a day.

On average, 35 people were killed by the virus and 1,000 people were infected with it in the province daily during the last one month, officials told Dawn.

They said half of Covid-19 beds in thedistrict headquarters hospitaland Mardan Medical Complex were unoccupied, whereas 18 ventilators and 368 oxygen cylinders were unused which could be offered to patients if the need emerged.

Dr Hamid Khan, who heads the district command and control room (Covid-19) at the Mardan DC office, said the positivity rate had come down due to the patrolling of the Pakistan Army and police that ensured the enforcement of lockdown.

He said the situation would further improve.

A report of the health department said the province’s tally of Covid-19-related deaths reached 3,274 and cases 117,557.

Officials attribute it to patrolling by army, police to enforce lockdown

It added that 1, 02,142 (86 per cent) of the patients had recovered with 800 recovering in the last 24 hours.

The report said there were a total of 12,141 active patients in the province.

According to it, 11 died of the virus in Peshawar, which also recorded 235 new cases. Peshawar, which is the hardest hit by the pandemic, has so far recorded 1,663 deaths and 45,614 cases, almost half of the total reported in the province.

Six died of the virus and 145 were infected with it in Mardan.

Mardan, the second populous city of the province after Peshawar, has so far witnessed 286 deaths from the infection and detected 6,762 cases.

Swat and Haripur reported four deaths each. The death toll reached 245 in Swat and 73 in Haripur. Both districts reported 109 and 60 new cases.

Three lost life to the virus in Charsadda and Abbottabad each, where total deaths from Covid-19 reached 32 and 73 respectively. Two died in Bajaur and one each in Swabi, Upper Dir and Bannu.

Officials said they hadn’t registered any decline in deaths and cases in the province despite lockdown measures due to a lack of adherence by the people to the standard operating procedures (SoPs).

They, however, said with the deployment of the Pakistan Army, five high-risk districts of the province were likely to register a decline in mortalities and cases.

Officials at the health department said a lot depended on the army and police about the enforcement of lockdowns.

“We need stricter imposition of precautionary measures in Peshawar, Swat, Nowshera, Charsadda and Abbottabad, where the coronavirus-related situation isn’t up to the mark,” an official said.

He said there was no impact of lockdown in the high-risk cities except Mardan as the number of cases and deaths was on the rise.

The official, however, said vaccination of people against Covid-19 was increasing, which was a good sign regarding the control of the virus transmission.

Since Feb 3, a total of 52,937 frontline health workers have got the first dose of vaccine and 33,873 second in 36 districts.

Officials said 1,125,011 senior citizens had been received first dose and 42,692 second.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2021