Punjab sees worst Covid day in 6 months

Lahore positivity rate recorded at 9.6%

LAHORE:

Punjab health department appears helpless to handle the ongoing coronavirus wave as the number of patients in the province continued to rise on Saturday to the highest level in past six months.

Highest number of new cases of Covid-19 in a day during the fifth wave in Punjab was recorded during last 24 hours as 843 patients were confirmed as coronavirus positive by the health department.

The number of fresh cases of the disease confirmed in Lahore was 659.

Beside Lahore, the spread of coronavirus also speedily increased in other big districts of Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala.

The provincial health department advised the people to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the government to avert the spread of the pandemic.

The data for the past day showed that the number of coronavirus patients reporting in government and private hospitals in Lahore and Rawalpindi was particularly high.

According to the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department’s coronavirus monitoring unit, the figure of 843 new patients confirmed in a day was the highest in past six months.

“Such a grave situation was witnessed only on the peak days of the earlier waves of the pandemic. We all should admit that we now are fully in the grip of the fifth wave of coronavirus and there is need that we follow and implement restrictions that were in place in the past,” a senior official of the department said while speaking to The Express Tribune.

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“During past week we saw a continuous increase in the number of coronavirus patients but today’s ratio was shocking for us, especial the fact that Lahore recorded 9.6 per cent coronavirus positive test results in the past day,” he said. The official said the positivity rate of the whole province was 4.9% and it appeared that the situation would worsen in coming days.

“There will be no option other than imposition of smart lockdown in several coronavirus-hit areas of Lahore as the 9.6% positive rate in the city is alarming,” he added. The official said that during the third and fourth waves of the pandemic educational institutions were shut in all districts where the coronavirus test positivity rate was above 5%. The percentage recorded in Lahore on Saturday is almost double as compared to the mark.

Punjab has recorded 450,787 patients of coronavirus so far, of whom 429,997 have recovered. The official said there were 7,780 active cases of coronavirus in the hospitals of Punjab. The pandemic has claimed 13,082 lives in the province since its outbreak. Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch said the highest ratio of fresh confirmed patients was recorded in Lahore at 9.6%, while the rate in Rawalpindi was 4.9%.

“Our focus is still on vaccination and in this regard our Reach Every Door campaign is continuing in Punjab. In first phase of the campaign, vaccination of 14 million people was completed in the 36 districts of Punjab, while during the second phase we are striving to reach maximum people,” he said.

The provincial secretary requested the parents to get vaccinated their children above 12 years of age. He said there was no report of shortage of the vaccine in any district of the province.

“We have also issued special SOPs for various departments in view of the crucial situation regarding the fifth wave of coronavirus and the citizens should ensure their own and their families’ safety by following the precautionary guidelines. Only vaccination and implementation of the SOPs can protect the people in the prevailing situation,” said Imran Sikandar Baloch.

However, the department’s spokesperson Sayed Hamad Raza expressed confidence that it was prepared to cope with the alarming situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2022.