Seven of a family test positive for Covid-19

Seminary sealed in Sector F-7; Virus claims two lives in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: At least 23 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in the twin cities on Wednesday. This includes seven members of a family in Islamabad along with a traffic warden and 15 expatriates in Rawalpindi.

At least two fatalities from the virus were also reported from the garrison city.

New Cases in Islamabad

The district health authorities in the federal capital found seven members of a family, residing in Madrasah Babul Islam in Sector F-7, infected with Covid-19.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqaat said that the father of the mosque’s Khateeb (prayer leader), had succumbed to the virus on Sunday and was buried in his native Battagram.

Following the contact tracing policy, he said that the authorities tested all members of the victim’s family.

Shafqaat said that the test results from seven members of the deceased’s family had returned negative, including the Khateeb. Thereafter, they were shifted to an isolation facility. The fresh cases pushed the federal capital’s total to 194 on Wednesday.

Cases, fatalities in Pindi

In the garrison city of Rawalpindi, two more patients died due to the pandemic in the past 24-hours, taking the collective figure of fatalities to three.

Another City Traffic Police (CTP) warden was found infected with the virus. He was shifted to a quarantine facility.

As reports of the case spread, 10 of his co-workers, including wardens, were quarantined.

This is the second Covid-19 case to emerge amongst CTP wardens.

Meanwhile, as many as 15 expatriates, who had returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have also been found infected with the virus. They have been shifted to the RIUKT for treatment.

On the brighter side, four people fully recovered from the virus, after which they were released from RIUKT on Wednesday. So far, some 68 patients have beaten Covid-19 in Rawalpindi. Sources in RIUKT said that at least 159 Covid-19 patients were under treatment at the healthcare facility.

Testing begins

All three allied hospitals in Rawalpindi have started testing the patients under treatment there for Covid-19. Their nasal swab samples were being dispatched to the pathological laboratory at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH).

Patients who test positive for Covid-19 will be referred to the RIUKT. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2020.