TARIQ SAEED
PESHAWAR The tally of confirmed cases of the Covid -19 in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province abruptly jumped to more than double as 40 new cases were reported on Tuesday taking the total number of those tested positive for Novel Corona to 78 as against 37 till Monday. However, out of 40 new cases 37 came from the Zaireen received a few days back from Taftan border, Iran. Three cases were reported from other regions of KP. The Health department communiqué said total 98 new suspects were reported from KP during last 24 hours. It disclosed that the samples of 241 pilgrims received in D I Khan from Taftan were taken out of which 37 tested positives while 29 results were negative. Hence the number of Corona confirmed cases in D I Khan that stood at 16 a day earlier, jumped to 53 on Tuesday. “Three new cases emerged from the province keeping in line with the general trend of the province”. The Situation Report on Covid-19 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued by DG Health Services Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said. It said 142 Zaireen have been quarantined in Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Post graduate Para Medical institute. The Health department said it received 9 ventilators that have been distributed to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Bannu and Mufti Mehmood Hospital in D I Khan. Likewise, five ventilators from District Headquarters Hospital, Swat, and four from DHQ, Shangla, have been shifted to Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital Swat. Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to various areas of the city to review the arrangements made by the administration to keep markets, shopping plazas, restaurants, wedding Halls, parks and other places of public gathering closed with the aim to maintain social distancing and minimize public gathering in view of the possible outbreak of Corona virus. The Chief Minister visited Gulbahar, Nishterabad, Hashtnagri, Qissa Khawani, University road and other places. Expressing his satisfaction on the arrangements keep the public places shut, the Chief Minister said that the provincial government has decided to keep all such public places closed as a preventive measure but grocery stores, medical stores and other shops dealing with necessary items of day today use will remain open round the clock. He said that the overall situation of the province with regard to Corona outbreak was good enough and added that the provincial government has put in all its efforts to improve the situation. He urged upon the public for maximum cooperation to make the government’s efforts to fight the pandemic fruitful. The Chief Minister highly lauded the role of civil administration, police, Army, Rescue 1122 and health workers in efforts to control the Corona virus and said that better team work and coordinated efforts would definitely yield fruitful results.
