Rising tally: Sindh's Covid-19 positive ratio climbs to 31%

CM Syed Murad Ali Shah urges Sindh citizens to stay at home

KARACHI: Sindh saw as many as 699 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, while six more people lost their lives to the contagious disease, disclosed Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement on the day.

According to Shah, 2,177 tests were conducted, of which 699 turned out positive. He pointed out that this was a ratio of 31 per cent positive tests, which was higher than the average so far.

The newly-detected cases have sent the tally of coronavirus patients in the province soaring to 24,206, while the death toll had reached 380 to date.

He added that 235 Covid-19 patients were in critical condition, with 42 of them on ventilators. On the other hand, 755 patients were found to have recovered from the disease, taking the number of recovered patients to 9,270.

Shah further apprised that 14,556 patients were under treatment at the moment, of which 12,836 were being isolated at their homes, 793 in isolation centres and 927 were receiving treatment at different hospitals.

Sharing the virus spread in the provincial capital, the Sindh CM stated that out of a total of 699 new cases, 559 were from Karachi. Presenting the district-wise breakup, he said that 174 cases were reported in East district, 125 in Central district, 99 in South district, 56 in West district, 50 in Korangi district and 33 in Malir district.

Meanwhile, 24 people tested positive for the virus in Ghotki, 11 in Sukkur, 10 in Larkana, seven in Mirpurkhas, six each in Jacobabad and Badin, five in Hyderabad, four in Shikarpur, three in Jamshoro, two apiece in Khairpur and Thatta, and one each in Dadu, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Tando Mohammad Khan, he revealed.

The Sindh chief minister once again urged the citizens to stay at home, observe self-isolation and avoid crowding the markets. "Otherwise, it will be tough to control the outbreak," he warned.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2020.