Impact of ease in lockdown
Rawalpindi : The number of confirmed patients of coronavirus illness being reported from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi is registering a sharp continuous upward trend at least for the last one week that according to many health experts is an impact of relaxation in lockdown announced by the government for Eidul Fitr, on May 22.
At the time of relaxation in lockdown for shopping on Eidul Fitr, experts have expressed that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths caused by it would certainly go up yet the damaging effect would be witnessed after May 30 or so and the present circumstances seem to be presenting true picture of what the experts opined.
After May 30, within last one week, the twin cities have registered over 2400 local patients of COVID-19 while some 40 patients belonging to Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district have lost their lives in last seven days.
From February 26 when the first case of the disease was reported in this region of the country from the federal capital to May 30, slightly over 4400 confirmed cases were reported from the region with over 110 deaths. On Saturday, the number of patients tested positive from the twin cities reached 6825 while number of deaths was 153.
Despite tremendous increase in number of cases almost all across Pakistan, the federal and the provincial governments have allowed businesses, markets, bazaars and shopping malls to open five days a week from June 2 onwards after which the markets have been attracting huge crowds.
Many experts believe that the country along with the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi would witness another surge in number of cases and deaths after a week or so as an impact of permission of businesses for five days a week with longer working hours.
In last 24 hours, the COVID-19 outbreak claims another seven lives in the region, four from ICT and three from Rawalpindi district while another 405 patients have been tested positive for the disease.
The three patients died in the district in last 24 hours were from Rawal Town, Potohar Town and Cantonment Board area. Two of them were over 60 years of age and were undergoing treatment at Benazir Bhutto Hospital while one 48-year old patient died at Holy Family Hospital due to COVID-19 according to district health department.
The total number of deaths due to the disease from Rawalpindi reached 108 while a total of 45 patients have so far died of the disease in ICT.
To date, a total of 2502 confirmed patients of COVID-19 have been reported from Rawalpindi district of which 1195 have been discharged after treatment while 378 are undergoing treatment at the healthcare facilities in the district including Corona Management Centre at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, BBH, HFH, Pakistan Red Crescent Society Rawalpindi and a field hospital at Shahbaz Sharif Sports Complex, said Executive District Officer (Health) Rawalpindi Dr. Sohail Ahmed Chaudhary while talking to ‘The News’.
He added that as many as 820 confirmed cases of the disease have been in isolation at their homes in the district while number of persons who have been under quarantine at their homes was 2497 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, another 377 patients have been tested positive in ICT in last 24 hours taking total number of confirmed patients so far reported from ICT to 4323 of which 629 have so far recovered while 45 died of the disease.
It is worth mentioning here that till May 30, there were 2192 confirmed patients from ICT and the virus had claimed 23 lives.
Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/669047-impact-of-ease-in-lockdown