At least 3,920 people were confirmed coronavirus positive in Punjab during the first six days of December and as many as 171 individuals passed away due to its infliction, official statistics reveal.
Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) on Sunday asserted the coronavirus positivity ratio has increased drastically throughout the province.
A spokesperson for the department also confirmed a total of 25 Covid inflicted deaths across the province during the last 24 hours. Lahore remains at the top of the list of the most affected cities due to coronavirus in Punjab as the positivity ratio soared to 10%.
Despite uninterrupted measures by the health department, the virus multiplication rate has increased drastically in December, ringing alarm bells for the authorities.
Official data shows that on December 1 at least 543 Covid patients and 45 deaths were confirmed in Punjab. On the second day of December, 778 patients and 30 deaths were confirmed, and on the third day 727 patients and 25 deaths were confirmed.
During the following three days, 1,872 patients and 71 deaths were reported throughout the province.
Punjab Health Department spokesperson Syed Hammad Raza warned that the virus was spreading fast in all the large districts of the Punjab, particularly Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujrat. “Situation is very alarming in Lahore, where the ratio of confirmed patients has increased from 3% to 10%.”
“At least 122,955 patients have been confirmed coronavirus positive up to the present and 3,162 people have died since the outbreak. We are continuously advising the public to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) as it serves as a great protector for their lives,” Raza maintained.
He said the pandemic was spreading because the citizens were flouting the SOPs outlined by the government in the public spaces.
“In hospitals, shopping plazas, markets and areas where the public frequently visit, the citizens should implement the safety protocols to avoid any health tragedy,” Lady Wallington Hospital Lahore MS Dr Sabahat Aziz stressed.
She said the government was doing its best but it is the responsibility of the public to adhere to the rules outlined for mass safety. Institute of Public Health Dean Dr Zarfshan Tahir said the ground reality would remain critical till the availability of the vaccine in the markets.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2020.
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