ISLAMABAD: Four people lost their lives to Covid-19 in Islamabad and Rawalpindi districts on Wednesday. However, the capital saw a decline in the number of positive cases reported on a single day as 209 people were diagnosed with the disease with a 4.5pc positivity ratio.

The infection rate in the capital, the day before, was 7pc.

Officials of the capital administration said two male patients (60-69 and 40-49) and a female patient (60-69) succumbed to the virus. The deceased were residents of Bhara Kahu, I-8 and B-17.

A female patient, identified as Naimat Jan, 76, died after battling with the disease in Rawalpindi district. She was a resident of Kotli Sattian.

The death toll in the capital has risen to 855, officials said, adding that 4,609 tests were conducted on Wednesday.

Furthermore, 190 people contracted the virus while 106 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering during the last 24 hours in Rawalpindi district. The positivity rate remained 5.1pc.

There are 1,852 active patients with 213 patients in hospitals and 1,639 home isolated.

As many as 43 patients arrived from cantonment areas, 42 from city areas and 45 from Potohar Town whereas 28 patients arrived from Gujar Khan, 13 from Kahuta, four from Murree, three from Taxila and two each from Kallar Syedan and Kotli Sattian. Three patients arrived from Islamabad and one patient each from Abbottabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Bhakkar, Chakwal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

As many as 213 patients are admitted in city hospitals including 45 in Holy Family Hospital, 31 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), 91 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU), four patients in District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, 38 in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH), two in Bilal Hospital, one patient each in Hearts International Hospital and Begum Akhter Sultana Trust Hospital.

There are nine patients on ventilators in Rawalpindi, 120 are on oxygen support and 84 are stable.

According to a health official, during the last two weeks, 1678 patients surfaced in 66 areas under smart lockdown.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2021