ISLAMABAD: While 714 more people were found infected in the federal capital, the positivity rate rose to 11.28 per cent during the week ending on April 4 compared to 9.69pc between March 22 and March 28.

District Health Officer Dr Zeem Zia said there has been a continuous increase in the weekly positivity rate for the last 10 weeks.

According to a graph, in the first week of February the positivity rate was just 1.57pc but then it gradually started increasing and reached 4.1pc in the first week of March. In the second week of the month, it was 5.03pc and the following week it jumped to 8.71pc. Last week, it further increased to 11.28pc.

The data showed that 7,498 tests were conducted and 714 samples were reported positive in a single day and the number of active cases reached 10,889. As many as 60,911 cases have been reported from Islamabad till date. Moreover, the city has also reported 579 deaths.

Twin cities report 992 new Covid-19 cases with two deaths

Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat visited different bus terminals and directed the operators to ensure that the buses were run at 50pc capacity by strictly following the SOPs.

WHO donates ambulances

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday donated ambulances and motorbikes to the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) to improve the services of Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI).

The ambulances including one double cabin and 20 motorbikes were handed over to the Directorate of Health Services of the MCI at a function through Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who was the chief guest.

The vehicles will be used to deal with dengue, Covid-19 and polio facilitation, surveillance and monitoring field activities.

WHO country representative Dr Palitha Mahipala was present at the occasion.

Director General Health Dr Hasan Orooj told Dawn that the MCI had been running swift and outreach centres simultaneously.

“The ambulances and motorcycles will be beneficial as we had 18 years old motorbikes but despite that the immunisation under EPI has been improved from 76pc to 89pc in Islamabad. We hope that the process will further improve due to the latest assistance,” he said.

Dr Orooj said at a number of places outreach centres had been established such as Sarai Kharbuza and Sangjani. Some Hujras or mosques have also been engaged as outreach centres and every week teams are sent there to vaccinate children and adults.

“Mostly motorbikes are used for transportation so we are thankful to WHO which has addressed our issue,” he said.

Rawalpindi

Two patients died and 278 more people tested positive of the deadly virus in the district on Sunday. Moreover, 121 patients were discharged from hospitals after their recovery in the last 24 hours.

Nazir Ahmed, 42, a resident of Kotli Sattian, was admitted to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on April 3 where he died.

Parveen Akhter, 70, also passed away at the RIU a day after her hospitalisation there. She was a resident of Gujar Khan.

Of the new patients, 193 reported from the garrison city - 66 from cantonment, 70 from Potohar Town and 57 from Rawal Town.

Moreover, 29 patients came from Gujar Khan, 33 from Taxila, two from Murree, four from Kallar Syedan, two from Kotli Sattian, four from Kahuta and 11 from other districts.

There are 2,440 active patients in the district - 340 in hospitals and 2,100 in home isolation. Besides, 642 patients are waiting for the results of their Covid-19 serology.

As many as 31 of the new patients have been admitted in Holy Family Hospital, 36 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 130 in RIU and nine in Fauji Foundation Hospital.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that there were 31 patients on ventilators, 126 on oxygen and 42 were stable.

On Sunday, Additional Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Qasim Ijaz visited different bazaars and sealed six shops and imposed Rs22,000 fines on three restaurants for the violation of the SOPs.

Attock

The district administration on Sunday decided to close educational institutions in the municipal limits of the Attock city and six tehsils.

A notification issued by the District Education Authority stated that all government and private educational institutions would remain close till April 10.

Educational institutions in the rural areas were directed to hold academic sessions with 50pc attendance.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2021