Covid’s monthly death toll doubles

At least 1,925 lives lost in Punjab during April amid third wave of pandemic

LAHORE:

The number of deaths caused by coronavirus in Punjab doubled during April as compared to the previous month.

The previous daily record death toll was surpassed five times successively during the month, including four times between April 18 and 28.

Families in the province lost 1,925 members to the pandemic during the past month as compared to 969 in March.The figure is the highest for a month in the three waves of coronavirus surge experienced so far and alarmed both the federal and provincial governments.

At least 45,134 new patients of coronavirus were confirmed in the province during the month that is the highest number during the third wave and second highest since the outbreak of the pandemic.

As many as 1,925 deaths were reported in the 36 districts of Punjab due to coronavirus, raising the total death toll in the province to 8,410.

The alarming situation in the province became evident on April 6 when 88 deaths due to the virus were confirmed. The figure surpassed the highest toll recorded in the province in a day of 86 on June 24 last year.

The pandemic then claimed as many as 97 lives on April 18.

The day also marked another worrying development as 22 children in the province were confirmed as Covid-19 patients and one of them died at the Children’s Hospital in Lahore.

On April 20, the death toll crossed the 100 mark for the first time as 104 deaths were confirmed in Punjab, including 46 in Lahore. Another 103 lives are lost in the following 24 hours.

On April 27, at least 107 deaths were confirmed in Punjab, including a record 54 in Lahore.

April 28 proved to be the deadliest day for the province during the pandemic with 127 deaths recorded.

The number of deaths recorded in April was double as compared to March when 969 fatalities and 24,390 new patients of Covid-19 were confirmed in the province. As many as 1,925 deaths due to coronavirus and were 45,134 new patients were recorded in April.

Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department spokesman Sayed Hamad Raza termed the sharp increase in death toll alarming.

“Earlier, June last year was the worst month when Covid-19 was at its peak and hospitals were filled with patients. Punjab reported 50,022 new cases during the month. We reported 1,265 deaths and 20,467 recoveries in the month,” he added while speaking to The Express Tribune.

The highest death toll recorded during the past month amid the third wave of the pandemic forced Punjab government to shut all educational and announce a lockdown in several areas along with restrictions on business activities. All parks, cinema and theatre halls were also closed.

The provincial government also sought the help of security forces to implement the coronavirus safety standard operating procedures (SOPs). The security forces and police started jointly patrolling in all districts to enforce the SOPs.

The government also established more vaccination centres and doubled the number of doses administered as compared to the previous month. According to the spokesman, of Punjab Health Department, in April, the ratio of coronavirus positive tests in the province has increased to 12 percent.

On the last day of April, 83 deaths were confirmed and 2,296 new patients were brought to hospitals, raising the total number of patients during the pandemic to over 301,000.

Of the total 8,410 deaths caused by the virus in Punjab, at least 3,458 have taken place in Lahore.

“The UK variant of coronavirus caused the huge number of deaths in the province,” the spokesman added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2021.