ISLAMABAD: The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday saw 640 Covid -19 cases with capital reporting 549 cases and the garrison city 91.

Four casualties were reported in Rawalpindi.

During the last 24 hours, 5,344 tests were conducted in the capital which found virus in 549 people and the positivity was 10.2pc whereas on Wednesday 375 cases were reported in the city against 4,388 tests with an 8.5pc positivity rate.

According to officials of the district administration, the number of hospitals treating Covid-19 patients has also increased. The administration has asked hospitals to increase the number of beds and ventilators as so far, there are 836 beds allocated to virus patients at 16 hospitals and 119 ventilators at 13 hospitals.

The occupancy rate of beds is 64.5pc whereas the occupancy rate of ventilators in the capital is 57.1pc.

Officials of the capital administration said people are ignoring standard operating procedures (SOPs) and have a casual attitude towards precautionary measures which results in the increase of cases. Markets places along with other areas of the city are being checked for violations but people’s response towards following SOPs is not very encouraging, they added.

Four casualties reported in Rawalpindi

As many as 4,500 people were caught by teams earlier after they were found not following basic guidelines. Out of the total, 15 were arrested and fines amounting to Rs59,000 were imposed on others. The teams inspected 969 places, shops, markets, mosques, wedding halls, hotels, restaurants; five restaurants and nine shops were sealed due to the violations.

Magistrate Sadar Zone Mir Yamin, also monitored implementation of SOPs in Tarnol, Benazir Chowk and Fatehjang Road, the officials said, adding over 60 grocery shops were checked. Violations were also found at 10 mosques and warnings were issued to their management. Administration teams remained engaged in implementation of SOPs and countering the price hike.

Under such circumstances cooperation from the capital’s residents is necessary to control the spread of Covid-19, the officials added.

Rawalpindi

Shagufta Jabeen, 58, resident of Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, brought to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on April 12. Fakharun Nisa, 80, resident of Murree, brought to RIU on April 14. Mohammad Hashim, 55, resident of Zeeshan Colony Dhoke Chaudharian, brought to RIU on April 15. Sarwat Zubair, 46, resident of Shallay Valley Range Road, brought to RIU on April 16.

Positivity rate during the month of April – up until now – was recorded at 7.8pc, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic.

The divisional administration conducted raids in different areas of the four districts of Rawalpindi division to check implementation of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Additional Commissioner Coordination Jahangir Ahmed told Dawn that 794 sites were checked on Thursday including educational institutions. Officials imposed fines amounting to Rs101,000 on marriage hall and restaurant owners and sealed 25 outlets in the four districts of Rawalpindi.

He said three vehicles were impounded while fines amounting to Rs13,500 were imposed on public transporters, Rs66,000 on shop owners in shopping malls where 20 outlets were sealed, Rs55,000 was imposed on railway station authorities. Five restaurants were sealed and fines amounting to Rs16,000 were imposed on their owners.

In Rawalpindi district, there are 2,588 active patients. As many as 679 patients are in hospitals including 60 patients who arrived from other districts and 1,909 patients are home isolated. As many as 655 patients are waiting for the results of their Covid-19 serology.

As many as 72 patients are from the garrison city including 25 from cantonment, 24 arrived from Potohar Town and 23 from Rawal Town. Eight patients are from Gujar Khan, two from Taxila, and one from Kallar Syedan whereas six patients arrived from Islamabad and one each from Jhelum and Chakwal.

As many as 32 patients are admitted in Holy Family Hospital, 28 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), three in District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, 125 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU), 24 patients in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH) and three in Hearts International Hospital. There are 20 patients on ventilators in Rawalpindi, 128 are on oxygen support and 64 are stable.

Taxila

Taxila tehsil on Thursday witnessed another surge in Covid-19 cases as 15 persons were tested positive during the last 24 hours, according to local health authorities. Health officials said the total number of people who were tested positive in the twin cities of Taxila and Wah, since the beginning of the pandemic soared to 1,143.

This is the third highest spike in the city recorded during the month of April. It is alarming that a one-year-old boy identified as Chan Mehboob - resident of UC Khurrum Paracha was also tested positive.

The child is the youngest patient of Covid-19 in the city, a health official said, adding among other patients, four belong to ward 8, three to ward 6 and four to rural areas of Taxila. He said none of the newly detected patients were contacts of Covid-19 positive patients. There are 271 active patients in the area.

As many as 1,045 patients have recovered from this deadly virus in the area.

Attock

As many as 11 more people were diagnosed with Covid-19.

District Focal Person for Covid-19 Kashif Hussain said out of the newly detected patients nine belong to Hazro while two belong to Attock city.

He said the number of active patients in the district is 280 out of whom 273 are home isolated while seven others are hospitalised. As many as seven suspected patients are also admitted in DHQ and all are in critical condition. Responding to a question, he said the results of 867 suspected patients are awaited.

Furthermore, eight educational institutions were sealed after members of staff tested positive for Covid-19.

District Education Authority Chief Executive Mohsin Abbas said the schools sealed till April 28 include three located in Attock tehsil, two each in Hazro and Fatehjang while one located in Hassanabdal. While sharing details, he said Government Girls High School Baryar, Government Girls Community Model School Shakardara, Govt Model Primary School Dhoke Sawan, Government Girls High School Kalu, Government Boys High School Jalila, Government Girls Elementary School Jallo, Government Girls Primary School Jallo, Government Girls Primary School Dhoke Seelo and Government Girls Elementary School Sukhwal.

“The number of educational institutions sealed in district Attock during this month is escalating with each passing day,” he added.— Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2021