The alarming spike in deaths and new cases has raised eyebrows of the health authorities who declared it the highest number of cases reported in a day since the virus outbreak hit the province while seeing no respite in the coming weeks.
Of the new deaths, five patients died in Lahore and one each in Gujranwala and Rawalpindi.
Of those who breathed their last in Lahore, four were in the Mayo Hospital and one in Services Hospital.
According to the official figures released on Tuesday, most of the new confirmed cases (317) were reported from the quarantine centres, housing Tableeghi Jamaat members, taking their tally to 1,857. Out of these 317 cases, 238 tested positive for the virus in the Raiwind Markaz where the total number of confirmed cases of the virus reached 815.
317 Tableeghi Jamaat members among 518 test positive; seven more die
The official figures stated that Lodhran reported 21 new positive cases in Jamaat members and Rahim Yar Khan 10 during the last 24 hours.
Besides, 159 other citizens from all over the province tested positive for the virus during last 24 hours whose tally in Punjab reached 1,545. Of them, 58 new citizens were reported as Covid-19 patients from Lahore where the total number reached 658 on Tuesday.
The Gujranwala district reported first time 42 pilgrims who had arrived from Iran as patients of the virus after their reports showed them positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
With these new positive cases, the total number of the Covid positive pilgrims in Punjab has reached to 743 and they include 457 in Multan, 221 in DG Khan and 23 in Faisalabad district, according to the official figures.
BAHAWALPUR: Up to 62 cases tested positive in different Punjab districts on Tuesday, among them one is doctor and a Rescue 1122 employee.
Seven people, including a doctor, tested positive for cornovirus on in Bahawalpur. Also, 102 members of the Tableeghi Jamaat were declared free of coronavirus after they stayed for 14 days in quarantined mosques in Ahmedpur East.
According to focal person Dr Zakir Hussain, a doctor of the Lodhran District Headquarters Hospital tested positive for the virus.
GUJRAT: Seventeen people tested positive for Covid-19.
Side by side, 36 Covid-19 cases have been discharged from the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital and the field hospital after being declared free from the virus.
In all, 101 people have recovered in Gujrat district. So far, 1,601 people have been screened, of which 1,200 tested negative.
SIALKOT: The number of confirmed positive coronavirus case increased to 108 from 99 in Sialkot district on Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner Dr Nasir Mahmood Bashir said 160 suspected patients, most of them the activists of Tableeghi Jamaat, were also quarantined, of which 22 had been declared positive.
The DC said the district administration distributed 1,697 protective gowns, 16,276 gloves, 26,100 face masks, 225 goggles and 6,781 shoes’ covers among doctors and paramedics.
Also, an under treatment patient Usama (26) fled the isolation ward of the Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital.
Medical Superintendent Dr Muneer Javed said police would soon arrest the patient.
A few patients said the non-availability of facilities in the isolation ward forced the patient to flee.
DERA GHAZI KHAN: The warders of the Dera Central Jail have fully recovered from coronavirus, Jail Superintendent Yasir Khan said.
SAHIWAL: A resident of Chichawattni tested positive for coronavirus making the positive cases 10 in the district.
Health authorities have quarantined nine people who were in his immediate contact.
KASUR: The number ofcoronavirus cases reached 19 in Kasur as five fresh cases of local transmission surfaced here at Kot Haleem Khan locality.
District health authorities screened 27 people from the locality after a local resident tested positive for the virus a few days ago.
LODHRAN: Up to 20 coronavirus cases, including a Rescue 1122 driver, emerged in the district on Tuesday making the total 93, of them 82 are from the Tableeghi Jamaat, Deputy Commissioner Imran Ali Qureshi told Dawn.
Result of 244 Tableeghi Jamaat members had been received, of them 82 were positive while the results of 169 were pending.
Also, a rescuer tested positive who was doing duty as driver in Kehror Pacca, focal person Safder Malik said.
According to Khanewal focal person Dr Hisham Chaudhry, in Khanewal there were 10 positive cases.
SHEIKHUPURA: The three family members admitted to the Muridke THQ Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19.
Also, a 27-year-old woman of the city locality of Marajpura on Jindyala Road died from coronavirus in the Mayo Hospital, Lahore.
Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2020