KARACHI   -  Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that 19 patients of COVID-19 lost their lives lifting the death toll to 2,885 and 1,402 new cases emerged when 10,585 tests were conducted.
In a statement issued on Thursday, he said that unfortunately 19 more patients died lifting the death toll to 2,885 that constituted 1.8 percent death rate. 
Mr Shah said that 10,585 samples were tested which diagnosed 1,402 cases that constituted 13.2 percent current detection rate. He added that so far 1,940,557 tests had been conducted against which 168,783 cases were identified, of them 88 percent or 148,313 patients had recovered, including 749 overnight.
The CM said that currently 17,585 patients were under treatment, of them 2,885 were in home isolation, 13 at isolation centres and 774 in different hospitals. He added that the condition of 684 patients was stated to be critical, including 50 shifted to ventilators.
Murad Ali Shah said that out of 1,402 cases, 1,148 had been detected from Karachi, including 422 from East, 362 from South, 156 from Central, 94 from West, 61 from Korangi and 53 from Malir. He added that Hyderabad had 63 cases, Dadu and Tando Allahyar 21 each, Sujawal 18, Shaheed Benazirabad 16, Jamshoro 13, Sanghar 11, Badin 10, Ghotki, Larkana, Naushehroferoze and Sukkur three each, Thatta, Umerkot and Kashmore two each, Khairpur and Matiari one each.

Covid situation: Expert advises ban on all public gatherings

A prominent doctor has advised on Thursday ban on all public gathering across the country in view of the raging second wave of the COVID-19.

Dr Abdul Bari Khan, a member of the Chief Minister’s Task Force on novel coronavirus has said that the hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients and the pandemic has again reached to the situation similar to past June.

“Everyone should give heed to the serious situation in the second wave of the pandemic,” Dr Abdul Bari, who is also the CEO of the Indus Hospital said. “The situation could worsen further if precautionary measures not taken and enforced,” Dr Abdul Bari warned. He also advised blanket ban on all public gatherings to contain the disease.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan did better than its equal and advanced global partners in containing the spread and mortality rate of the pandemic in the initial phase. The doctors are warning that the second spike of COVID-19 is more lethal with ever increasing death rate in the country.

The experts are advising caution and following the SOPs to contain the second phase of the disease in the country.