Covid cases surge despite vaccination

Special SOPs issued for various sectors in view of fresh data

LAHORE:

Punjab Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) issued special standard operating procedures (SOPs) for various sectors on Saturday in view of an increase in coronavirus cases across the province.

The cases have increased despite record number of vaccinations being carried out on a daily basis. There are currently a total of 662 vaccination centres in operation.

During the last 24 hours, 1,080 cases of coronavirus were reported from across the province. The total number of active cases of the disease in the province is 22,944.

The pandemic claimed 26 lives in Punjab during the past day, including 12 in Lahore, the total death toll in the province to 11,503.

As per the data provided by P&SHD, currently 22,944 patients were under treatment in different hospitals across Punjab and 910 patients recovered in the past 24 hours. The health department conducted 21,174 tests for Covid-19 during the past 24 hours.

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During the past 24 hours, at least 519 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Lahore, 172 in Rawalpindi, 60 in Faisalabad, 56 in Multan, 34 in Bahawalnagar, 26 in Gujranwala, 22 each in Rahim Yar Khan and Sialkot, 16 in Okara, 12 each in Gujrat and Nankana Sahib, 11 in Pakpattan, 10 each in khanewal, Mandi Bahauddin, Bhakkar and Mianwali.

New cases of the disease were also reported in Chakwal, Jhang, Rajanpur, Sargodha, Muzzafargarh, Toba Tek Singh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lodhran, Sheikhupura, Narowal, Chiniot, Kasur, Sahiwal and Layya. Only one patient was registered in Vehari district.

The overall positive rate of coronavirus tests in the province was recorded at 5.1.

The provincial capital recorded a positive rate of 7.8, Rawalpindi 9.9, Faisalabad 4.8, Multan 2.7 and Gujranwala 2.5.

The provincial health department officials urged the citizens to follow SOPs for their protection and cover their faces with masks besides washing hands with soap several times in a day to protect themselves from Covid-19.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2021.