The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients jumped to 38,440 on Friday, with 13,914 cases reported in Punjab, 14,916 in Sindh, 5,678 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,457 in Balochistan, 501 in Gilgit Baltistan, 866 in Islamabad and 108 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has claimed at least 822 lives while some 10,155 coronavirus patients have recovered so far.
The Balochistan Health Department, in its daily situational report, Friday confirmed one more casualty due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours to raise the provincial death toll to 31. It also reported 147 new Covid-19 cases to bring the tally to 2,457. At least 383 patients have recovered from the virus in the province so far.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Friday said that 870 cases of virus and 12 deaths have been reported in the province during the past 24 hours. In a statement released by the CM House, he said, “The situation seems to be critical. The ratio of new patients and deaths is increasing, but patients are also recovering at the same time.”
With 870 new cases, province’s tally has jumped to to 14,916. In the last 24 hours, 12 patients lost their lives, taking Sindh’s death toll to 255,, while at least 3,606 patients have recovered. Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Murtaza Wahab said overall there are 71 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 35 are on ventilators in the province. With three more persons testing positive for Covid-19, the total number of patients have risen to 108 in Azad Jammu and Kashmi (AJK), officials of the state’s health department said. According to the officials, 76 patients have recovered and 32 are currently being treated in the hospitals. One person has died due to coronavirus in the state so far, they added.
The Khyber Pakhtnukhwa Health Department, in its daily situational report, has said that seven more people have succumbed to coronavirus in the past 24 hours to bring the provincial death toll to 291. At least 255 new cases of Covid-19-40 from Torkham and 15 from international flights quarantine centres- have been reported, taking the tally to 5,678 in the province. Of seven casualties on Friday, four were reported from Peshawar, two from Mardan and one from Swabi.
Meanwhile, another 108 patients have recovered from the mysterious disease in the province to take the total number of recoveries to 1,613. Number of active cases now stands at 3,774 in the province, according to health officials.
Punjab health authorities Friday reported 356 new cases, taking the provincial tally to 13,914. Out of the 356 new cases, 168 emerged from Lahore. Punjab’s death toll has reached 234, while at least 4,720 patients have recovered. Member of National Assembly Munir Orakzai, who had tested positive for Covid-19 a few weeks ago, fell ill during a session of the Lower House on Friday. The MMA lawmaker, who had arrived to attend a session of the parliament in a wheelchair, fell ill during the session. He was shifted to the Polyclinic Hospital immediately for treatment.
Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar Friday said Pakistan has achieved the capacity of testing over 15,500 persons per day. At least 70 laboratories are fully functioning across the country, he added. The minister said over 1,000 ventilators are being added to existing health facilities as the number of cases in the country continues to rise. He said the federal government is working in close coordination with the provincial governments to curb the spread of the virus.