Covid death toll reaches 2,174 in Rawalpindi
District police officials stop vehicles driving up North as tourist spots remained closed after Eid holidays in Abbottabad. PHO-TO: PPI
As many as 23,359 Covid-19 patients have recovered in the Rawalpindi district while the death toll has reached 2,174 due to the deadly disease so far.
As per data released by the District Health Authority (DHA), six patients were on the ventilator, 35 on oxygen and 74 in a stable condition of the total 115 admitted at corona centres of the district. The authority further informed that 57 more cases came to light during the last 24 hours while 2,193 were in quarantine with 1,423 at home and 770 in isolation wards at hospitals.
Meanwhile, all tourist spots of district Abbottabad would remain closed while the businesses and public transport would be allowed to operate. This was notified by the Abbottabad deputy commissioner’s office here on Monday.
It was stated that the death toll from the deadly virus in the district has reached 212. According to the health department, the total number of confirmed cases was 5,164 with the number of recovered patients at 4,651 while active cases stood at 301 that are admitted to various hospitals of the district for treatment.
A total of 69,069 tests were conducted of which 62,416 came out negative, 5,164 were positive, 1,030 remained inconclusive while 459 were still awaited. District Health Office (DHO) also collected Covid-19 samples from educational institutions where 271 various institutions were screened. The total number of tests conducted there were 17,292 while 4,244 of the where teachers and 13,048 were students of which 730 tested positive.
Moreover, the Hazara district administration and health department have imposed smart lockdowns at 772 places, including 581 rural/urban/residential areas, 10 hotels and restaurants, 155 educational institutions and 26 offices and commercial buildings. During the strict lockdown on the eve of Eidul Fitr vacations, the positive rate of the virus was reduced considerably all over the Hazara division.
Hazara Commissioner Riaz Khan Mahsud has expressed his appreciation for the efforts of deputy commissioners (DCs) and district police officers (DPOs) of all the districts of Hazara division for their effective imposition of lockdowns as per policy and guidelines of the government to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the region.
Mahsud stated that DCs, police, doctors, nurses, paramedics, ulema, traders, transporters, hotel associations and journalists are the heart and soul of the war against Covid-19. The staff deployed at the check posts at different points of the division performed their duties effectively and scarified their Eid holidays to save people’s lives and maintained normalcy, he added.
The commissioner maintained that the coordination of Regional Police Officer (RPO) with regard to the implementation of anti-Covid standard operating procedures (SOPs) was commendable while also appreciating the efforts of the transport department as well.
Furthermore, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) said that the round of the 2021 Tissot UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup, which was due to take place between June 3 and 6 in Cali (Colombia), has been postponed at the request of the organisers.
The UCI is currently working with the organising committee to find alternative dates to guarantee that the series takes place in the format initially established, it said in a statement. “The UCI would like to thank the organisers for their cooperation in this difficult situation, as well as the athletes, national federations and all parties concerned for their understanding,” the statement added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2021.