Virus cases top 25,000 on upward trend

-Sindh, Punjab, KP report new cases as fatalities record single-day the highest number
-WHO observes 1,000 new cases surfacing per day

By Uzma Zafar

ISLAMABAD: With 38 more coronavirus deaths in past 24 hours, the number of total deaths in the Pakistan due to pandemic has jumped to 564, newsmen reported Thursday.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre, the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country have mounted to 24,954. Of these, 9,093 were reported in Sindh, 9,195 in Punjab, 3,956 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,725 in Balochistan, 521 in Islamabad Capital Territory 388 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 76 in Azad Kashmir.
As many as 6,464 patients have recovered from the virus, while 15,233 are still being treated at the hospitals and the quarantine facilities across the country.
Record 12,196 tests were conducted in the country during last 24 hours to detect the virus. The total number of the tests stand at 2,44,778.
Meanwhile, the federal cabinet had decided to further ease lockdown restrictions. On Wednesday, the aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had said that it had been decided in the meeting of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to resume domestic flight operations.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan had said that NCOC gave the approval to restore domestic flights, however, the final decision will be taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Thursday’s meeting of National Coordination Committee (NCC).
A meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) will be held in Islamabad on Thursday (today) to take a final decision on easing lockdown restrictions in the country. 502 new cases of the novel coronavirus have emerged in Punjab, taking the provincial tally to 9,195, according to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department. It said 26 deaths from Covid-19 were reported, taking the total number of deaths in the province to 182. 3,201 people have recuperated from the infection so far, while 22 are in critical condition, the department said.
Earlier today, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said the province has recorded 14 coronavirus deaths – the highest in a single day, taking the toll to 171. In his regular video message on the coronavirus situation in the province, he said that 14 more patients have died from coronavirus during the last 24 hours taking the death toll to 171.
Besides, the CM said, 453 persons tested positive for the virus in Sindh on Thursday, raising the number of total reported cases in the province to 9,093. So far, 76,078 tests have been carried out in the province, he added. Five doctors, including two lady doctors, have tested positive for coronavirus in a Ratodero town on Thursday, according to District Health Officer (DHO).
According to district health authorities, three doctors among five are medical officers at taluka hospital Ratodero, while two female Covid-19 positive doctors were performing duties at basic healthcare centres. Nine family members of infected male doctors also tested positive for the novel coronavirus, while the reports of other family members are still awaited.
The infected doctors and family members have been isolated at home. The country is witnessing a consistent increase in coronavirus cases while the health professionals working on front line are also falling prey to the pandemic. Overall 273 doctors, 75 nurses and 171 health staff members became victim of coronavirus so far. Last week, Deputy Commissioner Larkana reported the first death from the district due to coronavirus.
According to details, the deputy commissioner said that the victim was a resident of the POF colony and was self-isolating at his home after suffering from the virus. “He was tested for the virus a week back and results showed that he was carrying the infection in his body,” he said.
Pakistan has been recording 1,000 new coronavirus cases on average daily, states the World Health Organization (WHO) in its daily situation report about the disease in the country. The WHO report, dated May 6, finds that the number cases reported per day has risen to 1,000 on average this week in Pakistan, doubling since mid-April.