Punjab witnesses Covid-19 resurge

Fresh cases recorded across province in July

LAHORE:

Punjab witnessed a resurgance of Covid-19 during the past month with 4,927 fresh cases of the infection registered in almost all districts of the province.

At least 15 deaths due to coronavirus were reported in the province during July amid an increase in the number of patients.

While health experts are concerned over the epidemic spreading to almost all districts of Punjab, the highest ratio of positive cases is being recorded in Lahore and other big cities.

Most cities in Punjab came in the grip of Covid-19 during July with 4,927 patients tested positive in 36 districts.

It appeared that the pandemic was ending before the previous month, but it started spreading again in Punjab and claimed 15 lives. The number of patients needing hospital admission for treatment also increased.

The overall ratio of positive diagnostic tests also rose during the month. About 4.5 per cent overall coronavirus positivity rate as recorded in the province during the past 24 hours.

However, the situation is more serious in the big cities of the province, especially Lahore. The ratio of positive cases in the provincial capital crossed 10% and reached up to 13% during the last days of the month.

"We are receiving more than 300 positive cases in Punjab daily nowadays and Covid-19 is once again becoming a challenge for the province as well as the country,” a senior official of the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

He said the ratio of coronavirus positive cases across the country was 3.15% and the number of patients registered daily in the hospitals was estimated at over 600.

More than half the country’s total new cases of coronavirus are currently being recorded in Punjab, he said and added that it was now clear that the province was the centre of a fresh wave of the pandemic.

The official stressed that the government needs to take steps to curb the public health risk.

“The situation may worsen in coming days because educational institutions in Punjab are reopening after summer vacations on Monday. If we did not follow the coronavirus safety Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) then the number of patients may increase,” he added.

The official also stressed the need for increasing the number of coronavirus tests as part of measures to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease.

"We received 353 fresh coronavirus positive patients across the province on Sunday, while one death caused by the virus was also confirmed in Lahore,” said Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan Khan.

As many as 254 of the cases were confirmed in Lahore. The city also recorded the highest ratio of Covid-19 positive cases in the province at 13.8%.

The rate in other big cities is also on the rise, the official said.

The provincial secretary shared that 513,528 cases of coronavirus had so far been recorded in Punjab since the outbreak, while the confirmed death toll was 13,588.

The Punjab health department conducted 7,823 tests of coronavirus during the past day, raising the total number to 11,647,751.

The department’s spokesman Sayed Hamad Raza said ample arrangements had been made in the hospitals to treat the increased number of patients.

“However, there is need that the people do not violate the SOPs and start maintaining social distance,” he added.