Corona gets deadlier in Pakistan with single-day record of 153 deaths

By: News Desk      Published: 10:48 AM, 20 Jun, 2020
Policemen stand guard at a deserted residential area, which was sealed by the authorities in Lahore after the COVID-19 coronavirus cases continue to rise.–AFP

With 153 people losing their lives, the past 24 hours (Friday) proved to be the deadliest day since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in Pakistan as the overall death toll in the country rose to 3,382.

The same period saw the virus being found in another 6,604 people, raising the number of cases to 171,666, the latest figures released by National Command and Operation Centre on Saturday morning show.

Most of these latest deaths were again reported in Punjab where the number of people dying of the coronavirus has climbed to 1,347 after the addition of 82 during the 24-hour period.

The number of coronavirus cases, on the other hand, reached 64,216 during the same period as over 2,500 more people were diagnosed with the infection.

Amid the alarming spread of the coronavirus, the situation in Lahore is worsening with the healthcare system being overburdened as 24NewsHD TV channel reported Friday that only 26 ICU (intensive care unit) beds are currently vacant in the state-run hospitals of the city.

The critical care beds available in the government-run health facilities on Friday were: Ganga Ram Hospital 10, Mayo Hospital six, PKLI (Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute) five and Nawaz Sharif Hospital Yaki Gate five.

But it was Sindh where most of the new cases were recorded during the past 24 hours with overall number climbing to 65,163 as over 2,800 people were tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, the number of deaths officially confirmed in the province has reached 1,013 with another 47 patients dying after getting infected.

The figures for the other provinces/ administrative units are: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 20,790 cases and 789 deaths, Islamabad 10,279 cases and 95 deaths, Balochistan 9,162 cases and 100 deaths, Gilgit-Baltistan 1,253 cases and 21 deaths, and Azad Kashmir 803 cases and 17 deaths.

On the other hand, another 31,681 tests were carried out in different parts of the country during the past 24 hours after which the overall number increased to 1,042,787. It means the ratio of coronavirus tests conducted in Pakistan currently stands at 4,724 per million (population).

Meanwhile, the number of active cases in Pakistan has jumped to 104,780 with the rest being closed – people fully recovering from the infection (63,504) + death toll (3,382).

At the current rate, Pakistan is going to surpass 200,000 coronavirus cases within next six days, leaving behind Germany in the process after upstaging France earlier in the week.