• Vaccine registration of citizens over 50 starts from March 30
• Punjab hardest hit by virus

ISLAMABAD: As many as 63 people died of Covid-19 and over 4,000 got infected during the last 24 hours as the third wave of the pandemic intensified in the country.

With the latest death toll, the tally of casualties in Pakistan has reached 14,901.

On the other hand, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Friday said the government would start registering people over 50 years of age from March 30 for coronavirus vaccination.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), most deaths occurred in Punjab followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Out of the 63 people who lost their lives, 60 were in hospitals with 22 on ventilators.

The centre’s data said 4,368 people contracted the virus, which was the highest single day count since July 2020.

Under the countrywide breakdown, Punjab reported 2,451 infections, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 890; Sindh, 247 and Balochistan saw 32 people testing positive.

Islamabad recorded 663 cases, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 79 while Gilgit-Baltistan saw six new patients.

However, according to an update shared by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s office, the number of new cases detected during the last 24 hours was 293. The province also reported one more death from the virus. With the latest count, Sindh’s caseload has risen to 264,355 while the number of fatalities stands at 4,487.

During the last 24 hours, 11,134 Covid-19 tests were conducted in the province while 112 people recovered.

Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir had collectively reported 748 new cases and two casualties.

In Punjab, the tally of cases has reached 207,765 while the death toll has climbed to 6,142 after 43 more patients breathed their last.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the other hand, witnessed a spike in infections as 890 new patients surfaced, increasing the total number of cases since the outbreak to 82,677.

The province also reported 14 deaths, raising the casualty figure to 2,260.

Meanwhile, Balochistan’s count of positive cases has increased to 19,427 after 32 new infections were detected.

The NCOC data further revealed that a rise in the use of ventilators and oxygenated beds was seen in the country, and particularly depicted a dire situation in many cities of Punjab.

According to the centre’s data, Multan had the highest ventilator occupancy rate at 65pc, followed by Islamabad, 62pc; Gujranwala, 60pc and Lahore, 54pc.

There are no patients on ventilators in Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the NCOC said.

More than 95pc of the oxygenated beds in hospitals were in use in Gujrat, followed by Gujranwala, 85pc; Peshawar, 73pc and Islamabad, 49pc.

In view of a surge in infections, the Punjab government imposed smart lockdowns in 11 areas of Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Sialkot.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, on the other hand, announced that markets would remain closed on Fridays and Saturdays.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister Asad Umar said the registration process for vaccination of people over 50 years would open on March 30. However, vaccination of those in the age bracket of 60 and above will continue.

In a tweet, Mr Umar said: “Registration of those who are 50 plus for covid vaccination will be opened on march 30th. Registration of those who are 60 and older has already been open. Encourage everybody who is 50 plus to register when the registration is opened for them on 30th.”

Earlier this week, the NCOC had decided to enforce a number of new restrictions in cities where the positivity rate was more than 8pc.

The forum had voiced grave concern over the coronavirus situation in Pakistan and unanimously agreed upon a number of high-impact interventions in cities and districts where the three-day rolling positivity rate average was over 8pc.

These restrictions will remain in effect till April 11 and will be reviewed on April 7.

The NCOC also decided to shut down all educational institutions in areas with a high prevalence of Covid-19, including Islamabad, till April 11.

Earlier this month, the NCOC had announced a two-week spring vacation in educational institutions in 10 cities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad from March 15 till 28th.

According to the centre, 3,333 patients were under treatment in the 631 hospitals having Covid-19 facilities on Friday.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2021