Pakistan: More than 100 die for fourth day

Virus surge straining health care system, says PM’s aide on health

Pakistan yesterday reported more than 100 deaths from the coronavirus for a fourth straight day. At least 15,928 people in the country have lost their lives to the virus since the pandemic began last February, with 110 new fatalities in the past 24 hours.

The country reported 5,364 new Covid-19 cases during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 745,182. Nearly 87 per cent of the people have recovered from the virus in the country.

Record tests in a day

On April 15, a total 64,481 tests were conducted — the highest number since the first case of coronavirus was reported in Pakistan in February 2020. Nearly 8 per cent of tested positive for the virus. There are currently 78,425 active coronavirus cases in the country of 220 million which is struggling to contain the third wave of the virus.

The surge in cases has put enormous pressure on the country’s health care system, said special assistant to the prime minister on health, Dr Faisal Sultan, who described the situation worse than June last year. The situation could exacerbate if people do not follow precautions, he cautioned. Health officials have blamed the lax attitude of the people toward mask wearing and health guidelines for the spike in cases. “Only five per cent of the people wear masks and violation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) has become the norm” Dr Sultan said as he urged the public and particularly religious scholars to advise their followers to adhere to coronavirus guidelines during Ramadan.

Vaccination update

More than 1.3 million people, mostly health care workers and people above 50 years of age, have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Pakistan, according to official statistics. As many as 350,000 people have reportedly received their second dose as well.