RAWALPINDI: Six people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Rawalpindi district, while three patients have recovered from the disease. No deaths have been reported in the last two days.

The district has reported 6,892 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since March, with 284 deaths and 6,450 recoveries. A total 433 people have been awaiting the results of their Covid-19 for the last 10 days, as laboratories in the garrison city are working slowly.

The district health authority has also stopped screening close contacts of confirmed patients for two weeks, claiming that most of its teams are busy with dengue surveillance.

There are 20 patients admitted to the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, of which seven are from within Rawalpindi and 13 from outside the district.

Another 138 patients are isolated in their homes; most of these patients were tested at private laboratories and chose to stay at home.

They are being visited by health authority officials in selected areas.

Local administrations have also claimed that 519 people are in quarantine, but no homes or streets in the city have been sealed for two months as authorities claim people are taking precautions themselves.

According to data from the Rawalpindi division, 8,292 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since March including 6,892 in Rawalpindi, 622 in Attock, 488 in Jhelum and 290 in Chakwal.

So far, 7,775 patients have recovered - 6,450 in Rawalpindi, 599 in Attock, 476 in Jhelum and 250 in Chakwal. There have been 351 deaths - 284 in Rawalpindi, 38 in Chakwal, 20 in Attock and nine in Jhelum.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal have not reported a new case of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, while six patients - four locals and two people from outside the district - tested positive in Rawalpindi city.

He said that all four districts have the capacity to treat Covid-19 patients. There are 5,445 beds allocated in hospitals in all four districts; 2,810 in Rawalpindi, 1,173 in Attock, 910 in Chakwal and 552 in Jhelum.

He said that there are 166 active patients in the four districts, including 144 isolated in their homes and 22 in hospital. There is one Covid-19 patient admitted to hospital in Attock and Chakwal each and 20 in Rawalpindi, he said.

“Due to this situation, we can say that the number of patients has reduced but the virus is still a looming threat for us because it will emerge soon if the people do not adopt safety measures,” he said, adding that elderly people and women need to be protected because they have weaker immune systems.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2020