Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Pakistan on Wednesday reported 59 deaths in the last 24 hours by the novel Coronavirus as the number of positive cases surged to 382,892, as intensive care units (ICU) across the country are nearing capacity as a second, deadlier wave of the Coronavirus builds momentum. Officials are struggling to counter public indifference to the pandemic.
Hospitals are having to turn away suspected Covid-19 patients, with the potential for a major health care crisis increasing daily, doctors say.
“The coming two weeks are critical and our situation is going to worsen,” said Qaisar Sajjad, secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association.
“Around 95 per cent of the beds are occupied. Only a few hospitals still have capacity — but most of the hospitals are full and refusing to take more patients.”
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center, 3,009 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.
Till now 166,033 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 115,786 in Punjab, 45,314 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 16,891 in Balochistan, 27,979 in Islamabad, 6,316 in Azad Kashmir and 4,573 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
With the Covid-19 pandemic progressively getting worse in Pakistan, the government has placed fresh restrictions across the country to prevent the spread of the virus during its second wave.
Another member of National Assembly Jam Abdul Karim Bijar was tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. The Pakistan People’s Party MNA has quarantined himself for 14 days.F ollowing recommendations by the NCOC, the government has made face masks mandatory in public spaces, limited large public gatherings to 300, banned indoor weddings, closed shrines, cinemas, and theatres, and instructed public and private offices to adopt work-from-home policy and 50% occupancy.
