Two more die of Covid-19

Two female coronavirus patients succumbed to the pandemic virus on Sunday as the number of the patients continue to rise amid violations of precautionary guidelines.

Both patients including Akseer Bibi and Safia died in Holy Family Hospital (HFH). The number of infected patients in HFH, Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), and Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT) is 135. Among them, 13 are on ventilators while 96 are on oxygen.

The health department has increased virus testing during the second wave of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. The health experts said that the patients were taking longer to recover than the first wave.

Meanwhile, the smart lockdown policy has failed and the administration has turned a blind eye to the issue too. The open disregard of precautionary guidelines is also underway by the people at public sites.

Further, some four traffic wardens in Chakwal district have been shifted to the hospital after having tested positive for the pathogen. The infected personnel include Qamar Habib, Zubair Arshad, Rafaqat, and Mazhar. All four of them have been shifted to the hospital.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the Chakwal district authorities are preparing lists of people who had met the wardens recently for Covid-19 test.

Rising to the challenge of second wave of coronavirus pandemic, the management of shelter homes is conducting a series of workshops to reinforce the COVID-19 related standard operating procedures (SOPs) at its facilities in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad through massive sensitization of the service providers and dwellers.

Prime Minister's Focal Person on Shelter Homes Naseem ur Rehman informed journalists on Sunday that third workshop scheduled to be held on Monday at Tarlai Panahgah, located in Islamabad's outskirts.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2020.