Daily Times

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday was apprised that first time after May the number of Covid-19 patients on ventilators has declined below 100.

The NCOC meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar discussed Muharram management plan, compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and opening of educational institutions.

The forum reviewed disease spread impact during the Muharram activities and expressed satisfaction over the management plan implemented by the provincial governments. It also discussed opening up of educational institutions and hand washing facilities in the institutes. It stressed the need to ensure hand washing facilities in educational institutions as it would effectively help in containing the pandemic. It was informed that guidelines with regards to recommencement of educational institutions will be shared soon with the provincial governments and the private schools.

Moreover, the forum was briefed that to maintain real-time data of schools and students related to disease spread, latest technology was used to promptly detect disease prevalence in any particular area or school. Advance technology would help in rapidly mobilising resources to rigorously overcome the contagion spread risk, it added.

Pakistan on Monday reported six deaths by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases surged to 295,849. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 6,294. According to the latest figures by the NCOC, 213 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. Sindh remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic in terms of cases followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad.

Till now, 129,348 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 96,769 in Punjab, 36,044 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 15,625 in Islamabad, 12,869 in Balochistan, 2,298 in Azad Kashmir and 2,896 in Gilgit-Baltistan. Furthermore 2,401 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Sindh, 2,198 in Punjab, 1,250 in KP, 141 in Balochistan, 175 in Islamabad, 67 in GB and 62 in Azad Kashmir.

Pakistan has so far conducted 2,621,146 coronavirus tests and 18,017 in last 24 hours. As many as 280,682 coronavirus patients have recovered in the country whereas 604 patients are in a critical condition.

Punjab Monday reported 28 coronavirus cases and two deaths. The provincial total has risen to 96,769 while the death toll is 2,198. Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have collectively reported 51 coronavirus cases and one death during the last 24 hours.

According to the government’s Covid-19 portal, 14 cases were recorded in the capital and 33 in GB. Meanwhile, AJK reported four coronavirus cases and one death.

Pakistan reported another 135 coronavirus recoveries during the past 24 hours, according to the government’s Covid-19 portal. With the new recoveries, the total has risen to 280,682.

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 847,071 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP. At least 25,273,510 cases have been registered. Of these, at least 16,355,100 are now considered recovered.

The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections. Many countries are testing only symptomatic or the most serious cases.

On Sunday, 3,698 new deaths and 217,825 new cases were recorded worldwide. Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were India with 971, Brazil with 366 and Mexico with 339.