Daily Times

Punjab has witnessed a sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 new cases after Eidul Azha. The daily cases, which had dropped to below 100 on average during the last one week, again increased to around 300.

Though, some medical experts were not perturbed and declared it a routine surge, others believed that it might be a signal for the beginning of the second wave of virus. Punjab reported 277 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 besides five deaths during the last 24 hours against 235 a day earlier.

Of the new cases, 100 were reported from Lahore against 52 a day before, 58 from Rawalpindi (54), 25 from Gujranwala, 13 from Multan (11 a day earlier), 11 from Sialkot, eight from Gujrat etc.

According to official figures released by the health department on Thursday, the total number of the confirmed cases in Punjab reached 93,847 including 47,729 in Lahore, 7,503 in Rawalpindi, 5,856 in Multan and 5,812 in Faisalabad.

Meanwhile, in light of the downward trend of coronavirus infections reported from across the country, the government has decided to lift restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the virus, however medical experts have warn that the ease in curbs would cause another spike in cases, Arab News reported.

The varying restrictions, imposed in March, including the closure of schools, marriage halls, cinemas, international and domestic flights, helped the country bring down the death toll and the recovery rate to over 85%.

The government, on Thursday, decided to lift these curbs beginning next week and reopen educational institutions next month on September 15.

Head of infectious diseases at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad, Dr Nasim Akhtar, talking to Arab News, said that patients had started coming into his facility’s coronavirus ward after Eidul Azha, which was observed last week.

“Cases registered a sharp increase after Eidul Fitr, and this can happen now again with the lifting of the lockdowns,” she said.

Akhtar was of the opinion that the government should have halted the reopening of restaurants and other public spaces for at least another two weeks. “This is a bit early, and may worsen the situation again,” Akhtar said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has reported 17 deaths in last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases surged to 282,645. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 6,052 on Friday.

In a statement on the daily COVID-19 situation in the province, CM Murad Ali Shah said that nine more people died from the coronavirus during past 24 hours, taking the death toll from the disease to 2,259.

The chief minister said that 12,420 samples were tested today, which detected 487 cases of COVID-19, making the total count of the infected people in the province 123,246.

He maintained that currently, 6,022 patients are under treatment. CM Murad Ali Shah said that total 114,965 coronavirus patients have beaten the disease so far in the province.

In Punjab 853 novel coronavirus patients recuperated in last 24 hours, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department of the province said in a statement on Friday.

It is to be noted here that the coronavirus cases continued to decline in Punjab as the province reporting fewer new infections.

According to the spokesperson of Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, 86,086 patients of COVID-19 have recovered in the province.

Moreover, 107 new cases confirmed in KP, taking the total to 34,539, while more life was lost (Battagram) while 2 deaths not reported from previous days were added to the tally, taking total to 1,222. Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have reported 102 coronavirus cases and five deaths during the last 24 hours, according to the government’s Covid-19 portal.