Abbottabad records 72 cases in a single day

Additional DC, two doctors at ATH among new Covid-19 patients

ABBOTTABAD: At least 72 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in Abbottabad on Monday, the highest single-day total so far, district administration and health officials said.

With the addition of these cases, the total number of people suffering from Covid-19 in the district has soared to 496.

The new patients also include the Abbottabad Additional DC Tariq Ullah Khan, Dr Umer and Dr Ateeq Uzaman, three technicians, an IT staff member and a Grade-IV employee of the Ayub Medical Hospital (ATH). This takes the total number of infected medical staff at ATH to 31.

Meanwhile, in Mansehra, the number of Covid-19 patients has increased to 180. Of these, 15 people have died while the test reports for 55 are still awaited.

Coronavirus cases jump to six in Pakistan

The recent increase in the number of Covid-19 cases came about because people are not following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government and even they do not bother to use face masks or hand sanitizers while visiting bazaars and other crowded areas, officials said.

Moreover, in many rural and urban areas people are organising marriage ceremonies by inviting a large number of family, friends and community. While the government has shut marriage halls, people are still holding functions at their homes or in open places. Police and district administration of the Hazara division is trying to make people follow the SOPs issued by the government, but they were ignoring the guidelines which could further increase the number of corona cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2020.