Daily Times

The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients jumped to 14,742 on Tuesday, with 5,730 cases reported in Punjab, 5,291 in Sindh, 2,160 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 915 in Balochistan, 320 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 261 in Islamabad and 65 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has claimed at least 322 lives while some 3,233 coronavirus patients have recovered so far.

Independent Senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mirza Mohammad Afridi tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. Afridi, who hails from erstwhile FATA, said that he had gone to Peshawar last week, where he distributed ration bags in different areas of the city. He started experiencing high temperature and body pain a few days back and had gotten himself tested as a precautionary measure. “I received my results on Tuesday,” he added.

He is currently in isolation at his home in Lahore and has said that he is feeling better, though the symptoms persist. Afridi urged his contacts to get tested as well.

The Balochistan health department, in its daily situational report, on Tuesday confirmed emergence of 10 new cases of coronavirus in the province to bring its tally to 915. Fourteen people have lost their lives due to the deadly virus while 176 patients have recovered in the province so far.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Health Department has confirmed 10 new cases of Covid-19 in the region to bring the tally to 330. The virus has claimed three lives while 224 patients have recovered in the region so far.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has reported 10 more casualties due to coronavirus in the province to take to the death toll to 114 – the highest across the country. The provincial health department also confirmed 176 new cases of Covid-19 to bring the tally to 2,160. Another 29 patients of coronavirus recovered in the last 24 hours, it added.

Punjab’s Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has confirmed 204 new cases of the coronavirus, taking the provincial total to 5,730. It has also reported 11 new deaths. The total number of people who have died from Covid-19 in the province has risen to 95.

The district administration of Matiari has approached the district health officer (DHO) to get all 66 people tested for the coronavirus who came in contact with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail during his visit to the district on April 22. Ismail tested positive for the virus in Karachi on Monday.

Matiari Additional Deputy Commissioner-II Ishtiaq Ali Mangi has sent a list of 66 persons including media personnel who are required to be tested.

Ismail had also visited Hyderabad on April 22. He had attended a briefing at Shahbaz Hall given by Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro. He had also visited the Ehsaas Kifalat centre in Qasimabad.

Ismail had then addressed a press conference at the residence of PTI activist Mohsin Ghumman. MPAs Jamal Siddiqi, Haleem Adil Sheikh and others accompanied him.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said that the number of tests and cases show the coronavirus infection rate is down from 12 per cent to 8.15 per cent. “So far 48,061 tests have been conducted against which 5,291 cases were detected. In this way, the infection ratio has come down from 12 per cent to 8.15 per cent,” he said. “This is something encouraging but we have to take care of ourselves and of our families and other people,” he said. Noting that the number of people who have recovered from the virus so far has risen to 963, the chief minister said the recovery rate is 18.2 per cent.