LAHORE - One more COVID19 patient died at Mayo Hospital on Wednesday, taking the death toll in the province to 17.

Shababa Zaheer, 32, was admitted five days back after testing positive for coronavirus. COVID19 patient having renal problems breathed her last on Wednesday. So far 17 patients have died in the province including nine in Lahore, four in Rawalpindi and one each in rahim Yar Khan, Jhelum, Faisalabad and Gujrat.

As many as 78 new COVID19 patients were reported from across the province on Wednesday, taking the number of confirmed cases to 2108.

Out of 78 new cases, 39 were reported from Raiwind Markaz, 30 from amongst common citizens having travel history or through local transmission and nine from a jail in Lahore. The number of confirmed COVID19 patients in Lahore jail reached 58.

Out of 2108 confirmed COVID19 patients, 744 are preachers of Tableeghi Jamat, 695 pilgrims who recently returned from Iran, 58 prisoners and 744 citizens who either had travel history or fell victim to local transmission.

Of the 744 confirmed COVID19 preachers, 455 are at quarantine centre at Raiwind, 31 in Hafizabad, 17 in Layya, 16 in Sargodha, 15 in Rahim Yar Khan, 14 in Vehari, 10 each in Sheikhupura and Jhelum, nine in Gujrat, eight in Bahawalnagar, 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 centres in 33 districts for testing and isolation.

Out of 695 confirmed patients from amongst pilgrims, 457 are at quarantine centre in Multan, 220 in Dera Ghazi Khan and 18 in Faisalabad.

So far 744 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.

The highest number of cases have been reported from Lahore where 340 patients are under treatment at different centres. As many as 98 patients are under treatment in Gujrat, 63 in Rawalpindi, 39 in Gujranwala, 30 in Jhelum, 21 in Faisalabad, 19 in Sialkot, 18 in DG Khan, 15 in Mandi Bahauddin, 13 each in Nankana Sahib and Vehari, 10 in Mianwali, nine each in Kasur and Bahawalnagar, eight in Chiniot, six each in Hafizabad, Narowal and Sargodha, four in Multan, three each in Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Lodhran and one each in Sheikhupura, Attock, Layya, Okara and Khushab.

Punjab Health Department has forwarded SOPs for handling of COVID19 patients and saving other prisoners in jails to the Home Department.

As per spokesperson of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, all patients were getting treatment at quarantine centres 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.