LAHORE: The coronavirus reportedly killed 46 patients in various parts of Punjab during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,793.

It is said to be the highest number of deaths reported in a day in Punjab during the last three weeks or so.

Of them, most deaths occurred in Lahore where the total number of casualties reached 1,901, according to the official figures released by the health department on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 424 more people tested positive for the virus during the last 24 hours in Punjab, including 230 in Lahore alone.

The total number of positive cases of the infection in Punjab reached 158,220 while in Lahore 79,990.

Other cases were reported from Bahawalnagar, Khushab, Layyah, Sheikhupura, Narowal, Gujrat, Kasur, Okara, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanewal, Nankana Sahib, Hafizabad, Lodhran, Jhelum, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhang, Bhakkar, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Sialkot, Chiniot and Muzaffargarh.

The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said that in the last 24 hours, 112 patients had recovered from Covid-19 in Punjab.

It said the Punjab government had dedicated total 7,280 beds for Covid patients across the province out of which 6,399 beds were vacant.

Similarly, it has dedicated total 2,174 beds for them in public sector hospitals of Lahore out of which 1,890 were vacant.

In view of the prevailing life-threatening situation due to the pandemic, the Punjab government has made arrangements of 521 dedicated ventilators for corona patients in public sector hospitals out of which only 127 ventilators were occupied.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2021