Six more educational institutions sealed as positivity rate rises in capital

Students queue up to get tested for Covid-19 at Islamabad Model School for Girls, G-10/1, on Monday. A number of educational institutions in the capital have been sealed after emergence of coronavirus cases. — Photo by Mohammad Asim

• Islamabad reports 412, Rawalpindi 95 new cases with two deaths
• Infection rate in both districts crosses 10pc

ISLAMABAD: Six more schools and colleges were sealed in the capital on Monday after 16 students and employees were found infected with Covid-19.

Besides, the positivity rate jumped to 10.72 per cent from 7pc on Sunday.

Officials of the capital administration said the number of educational institutions closed in the last 48 hours had risen to eight.

The officials said three cases each were detected in Islamabad Model School for Girls (I-V) Shakrial, Islamabad Model College for Boys, G-10/4, Islamabad Model College for Girls (PG), F-7/4, and Islamabad Model College for Girls Model Town, Humak while two cases each were traced in Islamabad Model College for Boys (VI-X), I-9/4 and Islamabad Model College for Girls, G-6/2.

Earlier, the district administration closed Islamabad Model College for Girls, F-6/2, and Islamabad Model College for Girls, G-6/1-4, after three coronavirus cases each were detected on their premises.

The institutions will remain closed till further intimation by the District Health Office.

Disinfection activities as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of National Health Services would be carried out on the premises. Moreover, contacts of the positive cases were being traced.

The students and staff infected with the virus were advised to isolate themselves in their houses for two weeks.

Meanwhile, 412 people tested positive for coronavirus on Monday compared to 366 the previous day.

The two colleges that were sealed after students and employees were found infected with Covid-19. — White Star

In the last 24 hours, 3,843 tests were conducted among contacts of confirmed cases and suspects, out of which results of 240 males and 172 females came back positive, with the infection rate recorded at 10.72pc.

The officials said 128 cases were reported in the age group of 20-29, 111 in 30-39, 47 in 40-49, 42 in 50-59, 29 in 0-9, 26 in 60-69, 19 in 10-19, eight in 70-79 and two in 80 and above.

Likewise, 29 cases were reported from Loi Bher, 24 from F-11, 20 from G-11, 19 from F-10, 13 each from Rawat, I-8 and G-9, 12 from I-9, 11 each from G-10, F-8 and G-8, nine from E-11, eight from G-6 and F-7, seven each from G-13 and D-12, six from Koral, five each from F-6, I-10 and G-15, four from Sihala, three each from Chak Shahzad, Tarlai, Khanna, Kurri and B-17, two each from Sohan, G-14, F-15 and I-8 and one each from Bhara Kahu, G-5, Alipur, E-7, Rawal Town, H-8, Phulgran, Kirpa, E-8 and G-12.

The tally of confirmed cases in the capital has reached 111,376, with 108,106 patients having recovered and 969 breathing their last.

There were 2,301 active cases in the capital as of Monday out of which 63 were in hospitals.

On the other hand, the capital police have made it mandatory for their officials and officers to wear face masks.

A circular issued from the office of the inspector general of police (IGP) said, “In the wake of rapidly spreading Omicron variant it is directed that all officers/officials of ICT police must wear proper face masks with immediate effect.”

APP ADDS: As many as 95 people tested positive in Rawalpindi, raising the tally of cases to 40,375 in the district while two patients lost their battle against the virus.

In the last 24 hours, 938 samples were collected out of which 843 were declared negative while the positivity rate remained at 10.12pc.

As per the data released by the District Health Authority, out of the total infected cases, 37,312 were from Rawalpindi and 3,063 from other districts. Among the new patients, 38 were from the Rawalpindi Cantonment, 21 from Rawal Town, 19 from Potohar Town, six each from Gujar Khan, Taxila, two from Kotli Sattian and one each from Azad Kashmir, Kahuta and Abbottabad.

“Currently, 39 patients are admitted to six health facilities - 14 in Fauji Foundation Hospital, 10 in the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, nine were in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, three in Holy Family Hospital, two in Attock Hospital and one to the District Headquarters Hospital.

Four patients were on ventilators, 11 stable and 24 on oxygen support.

As many as 4,767,863 people, including 44,567 health workers, have so far been vaccinated against the virus.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2022