ISLAMABAD: Five patients died of Covid-19 in Rawalpindi district while two succumbed to the virus in the federal capital as over 500 new cases surfaced in the two districts on Saturday.

Officials of the capital administration said the death toll from coronavirus had risen to 801 after the latest casualties.

They said a man in the age group of 60-69 and a woman in her 70s were the latest victims of the virus.

The deceased were residents of G-10 and Tarlai, the officials said, adding that so far 233 deaths had been reported in the age group of 60-69, followed by 197 in the 70-79 age bracket, 141 in 50-59 age group, 110 were in their 80s, 59 in their 40s, 30 were in their 30s, 23 in their 90s, five were in the 20-29 age bracket, two were below 10 and one person was in the age group of 10-19.

According to the District Health Office 3,484 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours out of which results of 359 people came back positive, with the infection rate calculated at 10.30pc.

Ventilator, bed occupancy gradually increasing; positivity rate in capital surges to 10.30pc

The officials said 119 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus, adding that the number of active cases as of July 31 was 3,146.

The bed and ventilator occupancy rate is gradually increasing, they said, adding that 685 beds were allocated in 16 hospitals, out of which 245 were in use, with the occupancy rate calculated at 35.76pc.

The ventilators’ occupancy rate stood at 39pcs, the officials added.

The district health officials said the attack rate of the virus per 10,000 people in the age group of 50-59 was 990.98pc, followed by 877.43pc in 60-69, 841.01pc in 70-79, 796.14pc in 30-39, 788.36pc in 40-49, 686.32pc in 80 and above, 455.94pc in 20-29, 173.05pc in 0-9 and 157.85pc in 10-19.

On the other hand, five persons became the latest victims of the virus in Rawalpindi district. According to data, Asghar Jan, 74, a resident of Dhamiyal Road, was brought to Fauji Foundation Hospital on July 23 where he died on Saturday.

Similarly, Mohammad Adnan, 45, a resident of Asghar Mall Road, was shifted to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology on July 26 but breathed his last on Saturday.

Mohammad Imran, 47, from Umar Farooq Colony, was brought to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology on July 30 where he died on Saturday.

Shaheen Akhtar, 66, a resident of Afandi Colony, was also shifted to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology on July 30 but she too could not recover and died.

Zaheera Khalid, 50, was brought from Murree to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences but breathed her last on Saturday.

The number of active patients in Rawalpindi district was 1,080, out of whom 155 were in the hospitals, including 30 from other districts, and 925 were home isolated.

Most of new Covid-19 patients came from city areas, including 38 from cantonment areas, 48 from Potohar Town and 50 from Rawal Town.

As many as 11 patients arrived from Murree, nine from Gujar Khan, seven from Taxila, four from Kotli Sattian, three from Kahuta, two from Kallar Syedan, nine from Islamabad, four each from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Chakwal, three from Attock and one patient each from Karachi, Abbottabad, Kasur, Khoshab and Swabi.

As many as 155 Covid-19 patients were under treatment in the city hospitals, including 33 in Holy Family Hospital, 25 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 53 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, 33 patients in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH), three patients each in Hearts International Hospital, Attock Hospital and Bilal Hospital.

There are six patients on ventilator in Rawalpindi, 76 required oxygen support and 73 were stable.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2021