Corona claims nine lives in Abbottabad

Capital reports 1,318 new cases in two days

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI:

At least nine patients of the novel coronavirus died at the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) in Abbottabad on Friday.

According to a spokesperson, 86 patients were admitted to the ATH Covid ward where 12 patients were declared critical. In the last four days, 35 patients have died at ATH only while 90 more people tested positive across the Hazara division, they added.

A day ago, the largest hospital of Hazara division had suspended its out-patient department and most of the prescheduled operations owing to the increasing number of coronavirus cases at the facility.

In the last 24 hours, 39 new cases were registered in Haripur where one person died and 42 recovered from Covid-19 while 154 active cases are reported at various hospitals of the district. The Haripur district administration and health department have launched an awareness campaign for the people in light of the increasing number of cases while 16 more Covid-positive cases were reported in Manshera, taking the total number of cases 2,956 with 145 active cases and 3,765 patients have recovered so far.

Furthermore, Covid infections continued to surge in the federal capital as 1,318 new patients were reported in the past two days, a National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) spokesperson stated. He said so far 68,665 cases were reported from the federal capital and 626 deaths have occurred while 55,222 patients have made a full recovery.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Commissioner Gulzar Hussain Shah said the third wave of the pandemic is more deadly than previous ones as the number of patients is rapidly increasing in the district. Chairing a meeting held to review anti-Covid arrangements here at the Commissioner's office the other day, he directed the officials to ensure implementation of anti-coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) in public places.

Shah said that if we want to defeat Covid, we must wear face masks, maintain social distance, and avoiding crowded places. Health officials present at the meeting briefed the commissioner that 159 more people had become its victim on Thursday out of which 149 were reported from Rawalpindi district while 10 belonged to other districts.

He was further briefed that 36 cases were reported from Potohar Town, 39 from Rawalpindi Cantonment, 32 from Rawal Town, four from Gujar Khan, seven from Taxila, five from Murree, 19 from Kahuta, and seven from Kallar Syedan.

"Presently, 19 patients were admitted to Holy Family Hospital, 14 at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 95 at the Institute of Urology, 14 at Fauji Foundation Hospital, two at District Headquarter Hospital and three at the Hearts International Hospital,” the official said, adding that they were being provided with the best health care facilities.