RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that coronavirus claimed 49 more lives and infected another 2894 people over night.

“The death toll stemming from coronavirus crossing the figure of 1000 has reached to 1013 and the number Covid-19 infected people has come to 65,163,” this he said in a statement issued here from CM House on Friday.

Shah said that 13,642 tests, the highest in Pakistan, were conducted over night against which 2894 cases were detected that constituted 21.2 percent detection rate. So far 354,129 samples have been tested which diagnosed 65,163 cases.

Talking about deaths, the chief minister said that 49 more patients lost their lives while struggling against the virus. “Within last 48 hours, we have lost 97 valuable lives due to coronavirus,” he said and added the situation was quite serious and painful. He added that so far 1013 patients have died which constitutes 1.55 percent death rate. The CM said that 75 percent of deaths were of people who were more than 50 years of age.

According to the CM, at present 31,425 patients are under treatment, of them 29,818 in home isolation, 64 at Isolation Centres and 1543 at different hospitals. He added that 673 patients were in critical condition, of them 113 have been put on ventilators.

Shah said that 1691 more patients recovered and discharged towards normal life. The number of patients recovered so far has reached to 32,725 which constitutes 50.3 percent recovery rate, he said.

Giving district-wise break-up of the cases, the chief minister said out of 2894 new cases, 1626 belonged to Karachi. They include 471 in East, 413 South, 255 Central, 213 Malir, 150 Korangi and 124 in District West.

He said that Khairpur has 164, Hyderabad 64, Jamshoro 62, Ghotki 45, Sukkur 30, Larkana 29, Thatta 26, Naushehroferoze 22, Sanghar 18, Shaheed Benazirabad 17, Dadu 16, Shikarpur nine, Jacobabad and Kashmore seven each, Umerkot, Matiari and Mirpurkhas have six each, Badin, Tando Allahyar and Tando Mohammad Khan have three cases each, Kambar and Sujawal have two cases each.

Shah said that he has ramped up testing capacity and it was highest in Pakistan. “We have made all out efforts to strengthen further our health delivery system, and I am sure it will serve the people of province,” he said.

He said that we have established 20 labs in 10 districts which were working day and night to test samples. “We have enhanced our testing capacity by 110 times- which itself is a record and a manifestation of our commitment with the people of Sindh,” Shah stated.

He said that the hospitalisation number of coronavirus patients has increased by 11 times than 22 days before. He also added that the number of critical patients has also grown 22 times during the last 22 days.

Paying rich tribute to healthcare staff, the CM said that all over Pakistan 46 doctors, nurses and paramedical staff lost their lives while serving the coronavirus patients, of them 17 in Sindh. “I salute them for their selfless services to the people of Pakistan, particularly of Sindh at this critical juncture of pandemic.”

Shah said that keeping in view safety of our people a selective lockdown has been imposed in different areas of different districts of the province. “I would request people of the province to cooperate with the administration in appropriate imposition of the lockdown,” he said and added “this is all for the safety of our people,” he concluded.