KARACHI - As many as 13 more patients of COVID-19 lost their lives lifting the death toll to 2,858 and 1,382 new cases emerged when 11,738 tests were conducted. This was stated by Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued on Tuesday.
He added that 13 more patients died overnight lifting the death toll to 2,858 that constituted 1.8 percent death rate. Murad Ali Shah said that 11,738 tests were conducted against which 1,382 cases were diagnosed that constituted 11.8 percent current detection rate.
He added that so far 1,917,813 samples had been tested which detected 166,033 cases, of them 88.5 percent or 146,957 patients had recovered, including 591 overnight. The CM said that currently 16,218 patients were under treatment, of them 15,535 in home isolation, 12 at isolation centres and 671 at different hospitals. He added that the condition of 619 patients was stated to be critical, including 74 shifted to ventilators.
Murad Ali Shah said that out of 1,382 new cases, 1,091 had been detected from Karachi, of them 503 from East, 257 from South, 134 from Central, 86 from Malir, 82 from Korangi and 29 from West. Hyderabad has 70, Sujawal 49, Dadu 21, Thatta 18, Naushehroferoze and Ghotki 12 each, Umerkot and Jamshoro 11 each, Tando Allahyar and Mirpurkhas 10 each, Shaheed Benazirabad six, Larkana three, Matiari and Tharparkar two each, Badin, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sanghar, Sukkur and tando Mohammad Khan one each. The Sindh Chief Minister urged people of the province to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) to save themselves and their families from the pandemic.
COVID-19 infection disease and research centre made functional at ASH
Administrator and Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Ali Shallwani on Tuesday said that COVID-19 Infection Disease and Research Centre had become functional at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
A 120-beded centre is equipped with isolation ward, High Dependency Units (HDUs), having experienced doctors, professors and experts, the administrator passed these remarks while addressing a ceremony held at COVID-19 Infection Disease and Research Centre at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Senior Director Coordination Masood Alam, Senior Director Health and Medical Services Dr Salma Kausar, Executive Director Karachi Institute of Heart Disease Dr Asadullah Hussaini, Medical Superitendant Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Dr Nadeem Rajput and other concerned officials were also present on the occasion.
He said that there were 25 ventilators in the hospital. He asked the doctors and paramedical staff to also prevent themselves by using precautionary measures and following standard operating procedures (SOPs) while treating the COVID-19 patients.
Shallwani said that Abbasi Shaheed Hospital is the third largest hospital of Karachi and caters large part of the city especially under privileged areas. He said that the hoapital was conducting COVID-19 testing free of cost.
“Doctors and other health workers are our heroes who are treating the patients by keeping their own lives at stake,” he added.
Speaking on lockdown in the wake of alarming surge in number of COVID-19 patients, the administrator said that restrictions might be imposed in more areas, while shopping centres might be closed once again to control the spread of novel coronavirus.