HYDERABAD - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 556 as 16 new cases have been reported here in Hyderabad during last 24 hours.

According to data released by the District Administration here on Sunday, out of 556 confirmed coronavirus cases 270 had so far been recovered and discharged from isolation wards/ quarantine centers while 20 patients had succumbed to the virus till to date.

As per daily situation report issued by the Deputy Commissioner, 59 COVID-19 patients were under treatment at isolation wards of different hospitals and 191 were quarantined at homes.

The district administration has established a control room at the office of Deputy Commissioner while COVID Rapid Response Teams were working actively round the clock throughout the district and were equipped with PPE supplies.

In district Hyderabad, more than 3810 COVID tests had so far been performed, out of which 556 were positive, 270 recovered and twenty patients had died, the report said.

Out of total 556 COVID-19 positive cases in the district, 259 were in Taluka Qasimabad, 166 in Taluka City, 114 in Latifabad and 10 in Hyderabad Rural, the report stated.

270 corona patients fully recover

As many as 270 COVID-19 patients out of 540 have been recovered in Hyderabad district since the outbreak of coronavirus on March, 09, 2020 while 250 patients are still under treatment at isolation centers and in home isolation and 20 had succumbed to the contagion.

Health officials said that total 3810 COVID-19 tests had so far been conducted in the district till May 16, 2020, of them 540 cases were detected as COVID-19 positive while 3270 tested negative.

Out of all positive cases, 27% were the members of Tableeghi Jamaat, 64 % of local transmission, 01 % having travel history and 08 % were of the medical as well as paramedical staff, they disclosed.

According to health officials, out of 1049-bed isolation and quarantine facilities, 1025 beds are still vacant while 53 are occupied by active patients in isolation wards of ISRA hospital, LU hospital, Sindh Government Hospital Kohsar, CMH, AKU, JPMC and SIUT at Karachi while 320-beds quarantine facility at Labour flats, 71-beds at Rajputana hospital, 220-beds field isolation facility at Hyderabad Club and 80-beds at Sindh Sports Board hostel were available to face any emergency situation in the district.

Out of 250 active COVID-19 patients, 53 are admitted at government run centers while rest are at home isolation, officials said.

PTI shows concerns over COVID-19 spread

in journalists

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Leader and MNA Aftab Siddiqui has expressed his concerns over the growing cases of coronavirus in journalists here on Sunday.

He said that not only the journalists of Sindh province but the journalists of the whole country were suffering from this critical time due to coronavirus, according to a press release.

Aftab Siddiqui said that the journalists were the frontline heroes in the current situation. He urged the Sindh Government to announce a relief package for the journalists as had been announced by the Punjab government.

He also called upon the media organizations and Tv channels to take care of their journalistic staff against the coronavirus. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the journalists who had been affected by the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, sanitizer gates have been installed at three taluka hospitals of Matiari district as a preventive measure from COVID-19 by the Chairman District Council Matiari Makhdoom Fakhar Zaman here on Sunday.

Chairman Town committee New Saeedabad Haji Aziz Rahoo, Member district council Matiari Syed Muqeem Shah and Information Secretary Pakistan peoples party Nisar Saagar were also present on the occasion.

They stressed the need for adopting precautionary measures in Taluka hospitals to minimize long queue of people throng to hospitals. They further said that installation of sanitizer gates was much needed in all Taluka hospitals of Matiari district.

Meanwhile Chairman District Council Makhdoom Fakhar Zaman visited sanitizer gates installed in Taluka hospitals of Hala, Matiari and New Saeed Abad. He said that precautionary measures were only solution to contain spread of coronavirus.

While expressing his displeasure over situation of public hospitals of the district Makhdoom Fakhar Zaman said that installing sanitizer gates in hospitals aiming to provide maximum facilities to poor segment of society visiting hospitals for treatment.