ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has postponed all elective surgeries due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in the capital, which reported another 119 cases on Monday.

There were 2,608 tests carried out in the capital in the last 24 hours, capital administration officials said.

Eight cases were reported from Tarlai, seven each from Media Town and PWD, six each from F-7 and Chak Shahzad, five each from I-8, Ghouri Town, F-6 and F-11, four each from Sohan, National Police Foundation, G-8, G-7, G-10, F-8 and Sihala, three each from G-5, I-10 and G-9, two each from Shahzad Town, Jhangi Syedan, Gulberg Green, G-6, G-10, DHA II, D-17, Margalla Town, G-13, H-13, F-8, E-9, E-11, Banigala, and Bahria Town.

Islamabad has now reported 20,089 cases of Covid-19 since the outbreak began, and 222 deaths.

There are currently 1,600 active cases in the city.

Lohi Bher reports highest number of active cases

According to the details of active cases as of Nov 1, Lohibher has a highest number of the active cases at 171, followed by 85 in I-8, 83 in Bhara Kahu, 80 in G-11, 68 in G-11, 65 in Rawat, 62 in G-10, 60 each in F-6 and G-6, 58 in F-8, 57 in G-8, 55 in E-11, 51 in F-11, 50 in G-7, 47 in Tarlai, 43 in I-10, 34 in F-10 , 30 in G-13, 29 each in I-9 and Khanna, 24 each in G-5, Kurri and Sohan, 20 in F-7, 18 in Chak Shahzad, 16 in G-14, 15 each in D-12, Koral, and Rawal Town, 14 in Alipur, 10 in Sihala, eight each in B-17, Bari Imam, E-9, G-15 and Model Town Humak, seven each in Jhangi Syedan and Kirpa, six in H-13, five each in Chirrah, F-5, I-14 and Tarnol, four in E-7, three each in D-17 and H-8, two each in E-16, E-8, G-16, H-10 and Shah Allah Ditta, and one each in D-18, F-17, G-12, H-12, H-15, and Pulgran.

The addresses of 20 cases are not known, officials added.

The highest number of deaths was reported from G-9 at 20, followed by 17 from G-7, 16 from Lohibher, 13 each from I-8 and I-10, 10 from G-8, nine each from Bhara Kahu, G-10, E-11, Tarlai and Sohan, seven each from Rawat and Khanna, five each from G-11, F-8, G-13 and I-9, four each from G-6, F-10, D-12 and Alipur, three each from G-6 and Rawal Town, two each from Kuri, Sihala, Bari Imam, H-13, F-5 and Tarnol and one each from E-11, Chak Shahzad, Kirpa, D-17, E-16, E-8, Phulgran, D-13 and D-15, the officials stated, adding that the addresses of eight deceased were not known.

Pims

Pims has postponed all elective surgeries following the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the capital.

According to a circular available with Dawn, all elective surgeries are cancelled or postponed due to the rise in Covid-19 cases as per the instructions of the executive director. Only emergency and cancer operations will be performed.

The hospital’s media coordinator Dr Waseem Khuwaja said the decision was made to contain the spread of the disease.

“Whenever a patient visits hospital, not only can he or she be a carrier of the virus but could also be infected in the hospital,” he said.

He added that the decision was made to prevent crowding in the hospital, as the second wave of the pandemic has begun.

“I personally believe that even outpatient departments (OPDs) should be closed and people should come to the hospital only in case of emergencies,” Dr Khuwaja said.

Pims doctors recently urged the management to close OPDS due to the increase in Covid-19 cases, saying healthcare staff are at risk and need proper arrangements to be made by the authorities.

OPDs were closed in April after healthcare workers at Pims and in other hospitals in the capital contracted Covid-19. They reopened in August.

Four dead in Rawalpindi

Four people have died and 31 have tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, while 16 patients recovered from the disease.

Rawalpindi district has now reported 7,709 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 326 deaths and 7,102 recoveries.

There are currently 600 suspected patients awaiting the results of their Covid-19 tests.

Currently, 29 confirmed patients have been admitted to hospital and 244 are under home isolation.

Health teams have been directed to carry out more tests and ensure standard operating procedure (SOP) is enforced. People have also been told to wear masks when leaving their homes.

However, many people have been ignoring SOP, appearing in public without masks and without maintaining a physical distance from each other.

Attock sees spike in cases

Seven people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Attock, bringing the district’s tally to 663 patients.

Focal person on Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi said this is the first sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in Attock since the second wave of the pandemic began.

Of the cases reported on Monday, three are from Attock city, two from Hazro tehsil and two from Hassanabdal tehsil.

There are 17 active cases in the district, all under home isolation. The results of 2,618 suspected patients are still awaited.— Additional reporting by Mohammad Asghar & Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2020