ISLAMABAD:
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) was informed on Saturday that smart lockdowns were enforced in 1,292 localities across the country in the last 24 hours to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The forum, which forms the nerve center of the country’s unified efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, learned that a total of 308,600 people now remain under restrictions in various parts of the country.
A total of 10 localities in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), with a population of 60,000, have been placed under smart lockdown, the forum was told. Smart lockdowns were implemented in 844 localities in Punjab, confining 15,200 people.
Similarly, lockdown was imposed in 414 localities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with a population of 11,000, seven localities in Sindh with a population of 7,000, 12 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and five areas of Gilgit-Baltistan.
It was also informed that federal and provincial authorities ensure compliance with health directives and instructions, particularly with regard to workplaces, the industrial sector, transport, markets and stores, in addition to continuing the strategy of tracking, traceability and quarantine (TTQ).
The NCOC meeting, chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar, was also informed that over 13,116 violations of health guidelines were observed across the country in the last 24 hours and punitive action was taken against 1 541 markets and stores, 33 industrial units and 1,429 vehicles.
Later, the NCOC released details on the availability of ventilators and beds for Covid-19 patients across the country. According to a release, 379 beds, 68 oxygenated beds and 43 ventilators were available at AJK. Even though there were no patients on ventilators there.
In Balochistan, 2,148 beds, 262 oxygenated beds and 36 ventilators were available for virus patients. He said no Covid-19 patients in the province were on ventilators. There were 151 beds, 43 oxygenated beds and 28 ventilators available in Gilgit, where one patient was on a ventilator.
Islamabad had 514 beds, 262 oxygenated beds, 90 ventilators, while 18 patients were on ventilators, the NCOC said, adding that 4,856 beds, 1,081 oxygenated beds and 340 ventilators were available in KP, where 85 patients were on ventilators .
In the worst-affected provinces, 9,276 beds, 3,500 oxygen beds and 387 ventilators were available in Punjab, where 233 patients were on ventilators, while 8,274 beds, 739 oxygen beds and 368 ventilators were available in Sindh, where 83 patients were on ventilators.
50,000 cases
Punjab and Sindh, two of the country’s most populous provinces, each crossed the grim milestone of 50,000 coronavirus cases on Saturday, as the country endured another day of more than 6,000 new infections amid a record surge of the pandemic.
Over the past 24 hours, each of the two provinces recorded more than 2,000 new cases. According to official data released on Saturday morning, the number of recoveries also exceeded 50,000. However, as the day progressed, more and more positive Covid-19 cases were confirmed.
As of midnight, the national tally of Covid-19 patients stood at 135,943, including 50,087 in Punjab, 51,518 in Sindh, 17,450 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 8,028 in Balochistan, 1,093 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 7,163 in Islamabad and 604 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has so far claimed at least 2,597 lives.
The NCOC said some 839,019 people have so far been tested, with almost 30,000 tests carried out in the last 24 hours. Data showed that the death rate in confirmed cases also increased to 2% from 1.7% earlier, while recoveries also jumped from 20% to 32%.
Widespread among medical personnel
According to the data, 3,858 health workers, treating patients with the coronavirus virus, were also victims of this pandemic. So far, the disease has claimed the lives of 36 health workers – 14 in Sindh, 7 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 5 in Balochistan, 6 in Punjab, 2 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 2 in Islamabad.
According to the report, health workers affected by the coronavirus included 2,327 doctors, 476 nurses and 1,055 other staff. Among them, 266 health workers are being treated in various hospitals, including 3 on ventilators due to their critical condition. So far, more than 1,450 people have recovered.
(WITH INPUT FROM THE APPLICATION)