LAHORE                 -               As many as 86 new COVID19 cases were reported from across the province on Tuesday, taking the number of confirmed patients to 2004.

Out of these 2004 coronavirus cases, 726 are those of pilgrims who recently returned from Iran, 539 preachers of Tableeghi Jamat, 49 prisoners and 690 ordinary citizens, who either had a travel history or fell victim to local transmission of the virus.

Similarly, out of 726 confirmed patients from amongst pilgrims, 457 are at quarantine centre in Multan, 251 in Dera Ghazi Khan and 18 in Faisalabad.

Of the 539 confirmed COVID19 cases in preachers, 404 are at quarantine centre at Raiwind, 31 in Hafizabad, 16 in Sargodha, 15 in Rahim Yar Khan, 14 in Vehari, 13 in Layyah, 10 in Jhelum, nine in Gujrat, six each in Rawalpindi and Sialkot, four in Khushab, three in Mandi Bahauddin, two in Nankana Sahib and one each in Bhakkar and Rajanpur.

As many as 10,263 preachers who have recently attended Tableeghi Ijtema are at quarantine centers in 33 districts for testing and isolation.

So far 690 ordinary citizens have also been tested positive for the virus in 28 districts of the province. These people either have a travel history or they got infected through local transmission of the virus.

The highest number of cases have been reported from Lahore where 297 patients are under treatment at different centers.

Likewise, as many as 93 patients are under treatment in Gujrat, 61 in Rawalpindi, 39 in Gujranwala, 30 in Jhelum, 21 in Faisalabad, 18 each in DG Khan and Bahawalnagar, 17 in Sialkot, 14 in Mandi Bahauddin, 13 each in Nankana Sahib and Vehari, nine in Kasur, six each in Hafizabad, Chiniot, Sargodha and Narowal, four in Multan, three each in Rahim Yar Khan, Mianwali, Bahawalpur and Lodhran and one each in Sheikhupura, Attock, Layyah, Okara and Khushab.

As many as 28 patients were also reported from Bahria Town, causing the management to close the housing society for the visitors. The management has closed all entry/exit points, except two gates on the Canal Road.

Punjab Health Department has forwarded SOPs for handling of COVID19 patients and saving other prisoners in jails to the Home Department.  As no fatality was reported on Monday, COVID19 related casualties in Punjab remained 15 including seven in Lahore, four in Rawalpindi and one each in Faisalabad, Jhelum, Gujrat and Rahim Yar Khan. As per spokesperson of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, all patients were getting treatment at quarantine centers and isolation wards at public sector hospitals. He said that serious patients were immediately shifted to High Dependency Units. He urged people to stay at home, frequently wash hands and use hand sanitizer. He advised social distancing and adopting precautionary measures while attending sick family members.