KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has expressed satisfaction over measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the province and thanked the people for cooperating with the authorities in implementing Covid-19 SOPs. The Covid-19 positivity rate has come down to 6.8 per cent from 8.63 per cent in the province. “If the support of the people continued with the same spirit, we will be able to contain the virus further in the province,” the CM said. He made these remarks while presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Task Force on coronavirus on Thursday at CM House in Karachi. The meeting was attended by health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister Industries Jam Ikram Dharejo, Advisor law Murtaza Wahab, Parliamentary Secretary on Health Qasim Siraj Soomro, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, ACS Home Usman Chachar, Commissioner Karachi Naveed Shaikh, Adl IG Karachi Imran Minhas Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary School Education Ahmed Bux Narejo, Secretary Health Kazim Jatoi, Dr Bari, Dr Faisal, Dr Sara Khan, Dr Qaiser Sajjad and representatives of Corps-5 and Rangers. 

The Chief Minister was told that in the first week after Eidul Fitr, (May 15 to 21) the infectivity rate was recorded at 8.63 percent and fatality rate at 1.18 percent. In the second, after Eid (May 22 to 26), the infectivity rate dropped down to 6.87 percent and death rate to 0.90 percent. The Chief Minister said that the COVID restrictions had started producing encouraging results. “The credit goes to the people who cooperated with the government, abided by the SOPs and the restrictions imposed by the government, therefore infectivity and fatality rates have come down,” he said and urged people of the province to keep extending a similar cooperation so that the situation could be controlled.

On Eidul Fitr 2020, the Eid was celebrated on May 24, 2020 and on that day there were 846 cases or 15 percent detection rate and within 15 days, upto June 11, 2020 the number of cases increased to 3,038 and the detection ratio was recorded at 30 percent. 

The reason for that spike in the cases was the result of avoiding SOPs. CM Murad said that it was the reason that he had taken some strict actions on Eidul fitr, 2021 and Alhamdullah, our measures have proved to be fruitful. 

It may be noted that on May 20, 2021 infectivity rate in Karachi was 12.86, and in Hyderabad it was 10.11 percent and on May 26 it has come down to 8.34 in Karachi and 4.42 in Hyderabad. In the Month of May 26, some 307 patients of COVID-19 lost their lives, of them 24 out of 66 percent were on ventilators, 60 or 20 percent were off ventilators and 43 or 14 percent at home. It was noted that during the last 23 days, (May 1 to 23), Karachi East has 24 percent cases, South 17 percent, Central 12 percent cases, West 11 percent, Hyderabad 11 percent.

The meeting was told that till 25 May 201, around 21618 passengers had landed at Jinnah Terminal and all of them were tested, as a result, 50 or 0.23 percent passengers were diagnosed as positive. Out of 50 patients, 26 had recovered. 

At present 66 patients, including 63 in Karachi are in critical care. 618 patients, including 496 in Karachi are on oxygen. 

The Chief Minister, keeping in view the situation decided to continue the on-going restrictions and COVID SOPS and the situation would be reviewed again on Monday. He also urged people to get them vaccinated. “It is very important to be safe and secure, otherwise we will not be able to contain the virus here,” he concluded.

COVID-19 claims 22 more 

patients, infects 1099 others

As many as 22 more patients of coronavirus died overnight lifting the death toll to 4,988 and 1099 new cases emerged when 14,529 tests were conducted.

This was stated by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued here on Thursday. He added that 22 more patients of COVID-19 lost their lives lifting the death toll to 4,988 that constituted 1.6 percent death rate.

Mr. Shah said that 14,529 samples were tested which detected 1099 cases that constituted 7.6 percent current detection rate. He added that so far 4,046,463 tests had been conducted against which 314,141 cases were diagnosed, of them 90.8 percent or 285,403 patients had recovered, including 708 overnight. 

The CM said that currently 23,750 patients were under treatment, of them 22,759 were in home isolation, 22 at isolation centers and 969 at different hospitals. He added that the condition of 909 patients was stated to be critical, including 71 shifted to ventilators.

According to the statement, out of 1099 new cases, 561 have been detected from Karachi, including 169 from East, 138 South, 136 Central, 47 Malir, 36 Korangi and 35 West. Hyderabad has 90, Jamshoro 45, Jacobabad 28, Shaheed Benazirabad 23, Khairpur and Sukkur 21 each, Nausheroferoze 19, Dadu 17, Ghotki 16, Matiari and Tando Muhammad Khan 15 each, Mirpurkhas and Thatta 14 each, Umerkot 13, Kashmore 11, Tando Allahyar 9, Shikarpur 8, Sanghar 7, Badin and Larkana 5 each, Tharparkar 2 and Kamber 1. Murad Ali Shah urged people to abide by the SOPs issued by the government.