Corona tightens grip on twin cities

13 perish, 91 more contract infection in garrison city; 549 cases surface in ICT

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD:

Another 13 fatalities resulting from the novel coronavirus were reported in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

A District Health Authority (DHA) official informed that three patients succumbed to the virus at Holy Family Hospital (HFH), five at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and five at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT).

Given a growing need for oxygen and ventilators, the supply of liquid oxygen cylinders in three V tanks with a capacity of 30,000 litres has been ensured in all three hospitals, the official noted. As a pre-emptive measure, 550 oxygen cylinders have also been arranged in the healthcare facilities, they added.

Meanwhile, the arrangements for the vaccination at the official level have created a disturbing situation. In a district with a population of 5.5 million people, only 66,000 citizens have so far been vaccinated against the deadly virus.

According to details, health experts have now agreed that there is no possibility of complete eradication of Covid, therefore, we need to protect ourselves by taking precautionary measures and getting vaccinated.

Read more: Covid has killed 96 health workers in K-P

They said that the more people are vaccinated against the virus, the higher the rate of survivors, which will eventually lower the Covid positivity rate. Citizens say that the government should increase the scope of the vaccination to cover a greater portion of the population so that the pandemic can come to an end.

DHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Fauzia Kanwal said that the policy of the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) for the vaccine is being implemented under which the registration of people between the ages of 50 and 60 has also started.

Moreover, with an addition of 91 more cases in a span of 24 hours, the total number of cases has reached 22,674 of which 20,914 belong to Rawalpindi and 1,760 belong to other districts.

According to data issued by DHA, 19,715 patients have so far been discharged after making a recovery while 4,394 were quarantined at homes and in isolation wards. Presently, 212 confirmed patients were admitted to various facilities of the city, including 32 at HFH, 28 at BBH, 125 at RIUKT, 24 at Fauji Foundation Hospital, and three at Hearts international hospital.

Meanwhile, Covid cases continued to surge in the federal capital as 549 new people tested positive on Thursday, an NCOC official stated.

According to details, as many as 375 cases were reported on Wednesday while 530 cases were reported on Tuesday. So far 71,533 cases and 649 deaths have been reported from the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) while 57,979 patients have recovered completely.

Commenting on the situation, an official of the Ministry of National Health Services said several local-level administrative decisions were made to control the disease. He advised the citizens to continue following social distancing, use of masks and other precautionary measures to stop the increasing transmission of the virus in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2021.