RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: As many as 15 educational institutions were sealed in Rawalpindi district on Wednesday after over 80 people were found infected by Covid-19 on their premises. However, a drop in cases was seen in the capital on Wednesday,

As many as 685 people tested positive during the last 24 hours compared to 1,836 recorded the previous day.

On the other hand, two persons lost their lives and 277 contracted the virus in Rawalpindi district, with the positivity rate recorded at 10.1pc.

The deceased were identified as Mussarat Sultan, 59, and Yaseen Qureshi, 80.

Officials of the capital administration said 6,468 tests were conducted, with the infection ratio falling to 10.5pc from 22.2pc calculated on Tuesday.

They said 175 cases were reported in the age group of 30-39, followed by 170 in 20-29, 94 in 40-49,74 in 10-19, 68 in 50-59, 52 in 0-9, 26 in 70-79, 23 in 60-69 and three patients were over 80.

The number of active cases in the capital reached 10,074 on Wednesday out of whom 81 were admitted to hospitals and the remaining were isolated in their houses.

The District Health Authority (Rawalpindi) spokesman, Dr Waqar Ahmed, said as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs), 15 educational institutions were closed for 10 days after 83 positive cases surfaced on their premises. People in other institutions are being tested and action will be taken accordingly, he added.

Dr Ahmed said so far, 24 educational institutions had been sealed in the district.

The institutions that were closed on Wednesday are Government Girls High School Kahuta, Government Girls High School Kalial Adiala, Government Girls High School Westridge, Government Girls High School Sarafa Bazaar Rawalpindi, Government Girls High School Murree, Government Girls High School Kallar Syedan, Government Girls High School Muslim Town, Government Girls High School Kotli Sattian, Government Koh-i-Noor Girls High School, Government Boys High School Chungi 22 and Government Elite School Morgah.

The sealed colleges are Government Gordon College, Government Associate College for Women Murree Road, Government Associate College for Women Dhoke Kala Khan and Government Associate College for Women Gawalmandi.

Currently, there are 2,574 active patients out of whom 73 are in hospitals and 2,501 home isolated. As many as 51 patients were reported from different parts of Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments, 59 from city areas and 69 from Potohar Town.

As many as 20 patients were reported from Gujar Khan, 23 from Taxila, seven from Kahuta, 17 from Kallar Syedan and three from Kotli Sattian. As many as 28 patients arrived from other districts, with 18 coming from Islamabad, five from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and one patient each from Attock, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Khushab and Pakpattan.

As many as 19 patients are admitted to Benazir Bhutto Hospital, nine were in Holy Family Hospital, 17 in Fauji Foundation Hospital, 26 were in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and one patient was admitted to Begum Akhtar Rukhsana Memorial Welfare Hospital.

There are four patients on ventilators in Rawalpindi, 30 are on oxygen support and 39 are stable.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2022