Punjab sees rapid drop in Covid deaths

Number of cases drops from 35k in May to 5,428 in June

LAHORE:

The monthly Covid-19 death toll and infection rate in Punjab have dropped drastically during June with 708 fatalities reported during the past 30 days as compared to 1,462 in May.

According to official data, at least 5,428 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Punjab during the past month, while the figure for May was 35,891.

Routine life has resumed in the province as restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the pandemic have been relaxed and schools, colleges and universities have reopened along with several other sectors.

Although minor restrictions imposed by the government are still in place, it appears that the people in markets and other public places have no fear of the disease and they are not even caring to wear mask or follow other precautionary standard operating procedures (SOPs).

As many as 1,462 deaths caused by Covid-19 were confirmed in the province in May, while 35,891cases of infection were reported.

However, the situation has improved rapidly and the pandemic has claimed three lives in Lahore during the past two days out of 18 across the province.

The diagnostic test positivity ratio has also improved and 144 patients were confirmed in Punjab on Wednesday, including 70 in Lahore.

Read Covid infection rate drops to 1.49% in Rawalpindi

"No doubt we are near winning the war against Covid-19 and the peak period of the pandemic has passed. However, the situation could be better if the shortage of vaccines had not happened because it has caused problems for us and the people, resulting in protests this month," a senior official of the provincial health department told The Express Tribune.

He said it was the vaccination that was giving good results in the country.

"We have seen the worst peak of the third wave of the pandemic and the authorities should keep in mind that even minor negligence can cause another wave so timely supply of the vaccines should be ensured."

He said the people should cooperate with the government and follow the SOPs as coronavirus is still prevailing and the remaining patients may also cause its spread.

The official said further improvement of the situation was expected in the coming month if the educational institutions would be closed.

When asked about the latest situation regarding the pandemic, Punjab health department spokesman Sayed Hamad Raza said, "Although its cases have decreased, coronavirus is still there so our focus now will be on strict implementation of the SOPs and action will be taken over their violation.

All stakeholders are fighting coronavirus in coordination and we are committed to taking more steps for the purpose in coming months. All departments concerned are holding meetings daily to take decisions to protect the people from the pandemic."

The spokesperson said the department was also focusing on vaccination and enhancing the inoculation was its main aim.

"We are trying to bring down the infectivity rate," he added.

The current Covid test positivity ratio in Punjab is 0.8 per cent and in Lahore 1.7%. The rate Rawalpindi has dropped to 1.1, Faisalabad 0.4, Gujranwala 0.1 and Vehari 0.7%.

The spokesman said 346,180 people had contracted coronavirus in Punjab since its outbreak, of whom 10,747 had died.

He said the Punjab health department had carried out over 5.6 million diagnostic tests for the virus and 326,994 patients had recovered.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2021.