ISLAMABAD: As casualties in the twin cities continue to increase, the capital reported a decline in the number of daily positive cases, with 158 people getting infected on Wednesday.

According to statistics released by the local administrations of the twin cities, 11 people lost their lives to the virus. The data further revealed that Islamabad had recorded 205 cases on Tuesday.

District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia, in a message, told Dawn that the positivity rate had also decreased to 2.93pc from 4.29pc reported on Tuesday. The ratio had reached 8.2pc on Dec 7, but then it fell and remained between 6.39pc and 4.29pc till Dec 15, he said.

The single day count in number of patients has also decreased since Dec 7, except on Dec 9 and 11, Dr Zia said, adding that cases have gradually been falling since Dec 11, as 319, 286, 279, 261 and 205 people were infected on Dec 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, respectively.

The capital administration officials said three deaths were also reported in Pims. The deceased were residents of G-9, I-10 and Chirah. During the last 24 hours, 5,375 tests were conducted out of which 158 tested positive, the officials said, adding that 20 cases were reported from Lohi Bher, followed by 16 from Bhara Kahu, 11 from I-8, eight each from E-11, G-13 and I-10, seven from Sohan, six each from G-6 and Tarlai, five from G-10, four each from G-9, G-8, Rawat, F-11, F-8 and Kuri, three each from G-11, G-7, F-10, Kirpa and F-5 and two each from G-5 and E-7.

Rawalpindi

The garrison city recorded eight deaths and 98 new cases on Wednesday.Younas Murad, 68, from Gulistan Colony, breathed his last in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on Wednesday where he had been admitted on Dec 14.

Zahir Khan, 70, a resident of Gora Gali Murree, was brought to Pims on Dec 15 where he died late Tuesday night. Similarly, Ishrat Naheed, 60, a resident of Farooq-i-Azam Road in Shamsabad, succumbed to the virus at Pims where she was admitted on Dec 15.

Faraz Ahmed, 43, from Bahria Town Phase 8, and Naseem Yasmeen, 40, from Gulshanabad were shifted to Shifa International Hospital on Dec 15 but both died on Wednesday.

Nawaz Khan, 78, from Pindora, and Mohammad Rafiq, 73, from Kallar Syedan, were shifted to Holy Family Hospital on Dec 15 where they died on Wednesday.

Shamshad Begum, 64, a resident of Satellite Town, breathed her last at RIU on Wednesday where she was being treated since Dec 15.

As many as 98 new patients were reported on Wednesday, including six from outside the district, while 108 have recovered. The district has 1,009 active patients at present with 116 in hospitals and 893 home isolated. Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that 14,304 people have been infected since March including 926 in Attock, 858 in Jhelum and 418 in Chakwal.

Attock

Another 10 people got infected during the last 24 hours, taking the total figure of positive cases in the district to 926.

According to health authorities, with the advent of winter and non-observance of standard operating procedures, the number of Covid-19 patients had increased in Attock city and other towns of the district, especially Hazro.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Jawad Elahi said among the new patients, eight were from Attock city while two from Hazro. He said active cases had reached 151 out of which 148 were asymptomatic and had been isolated at home. He said four suspected patients were also admitted to District Headquarters Hospital.

Taxila saw another eight people contracting the virus during the last 24 hours, raising the tally in the tehsil to to 834, the health authorities’ statistics revealed.

Deputy District Officer Health Dr Sara Qadeer confirmed that among the new patients, seven belonged to different wards of Wah while one was from Taxila. She further said that a two-year-old girl was among the patients.

Dr Qadeer said there were 230 active patients in the city and all were under home isolation. — Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2020