Coronavirus Update: Another 1,667 infected in Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh registered 1,667 new COVID-19 infections, with 20 related deaths, on June 4, as the designated COVID-19 laboratories across Sindh were reported endeavoring for conducting the tests matching to their pre-determined daily maximum capacity. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his statement on COVID-19 disease situation, revealed that the provincial government had increased the testing capacity to 8,390 tests per day and laboratories cumulatively conducted the tests equal to their total capacity during the last 24 hours, ending at 9 am on June 4.

According to the chief minister, as many as 1,667 persons were found positive for the lethal virus, which has continued haunting the people and the healthcare units as well as the government functionaries for last 100 days. 

He once again appealed to the masses to exercise more caution as COVID-19 cases were on the rise. “People should not go out of home without wearing the face mask.” 

Some researches, in the meantime, suggested that there were 20 laboratories across the province, which have been designated by authorities for conducting the coronavirus tests. 

These laboratories or testing units included 15 located at Karachi, while another two at Hyderabad, two at Sukkur and one at Larkana, which gradually increased their testing capacity up to a combined total of 8,650.

A source revealed that these laboratories collectively performed 8,390 tests during the last 24 hours, with at least four which did not take any single test. 

“There were seven laboratories which conducted tests beyond their fixed number while another seven performed much below their capacity.” 

As of June 4, as per an official summary, DUHS Ojha facility, among the laboratories, conducted 378 tests, with a positive percentage of 45, followed by, Indus Hospital (41%), AKUH (40%), SIUT (39%), GMMC Sukkur (37%), CHK (36%), Chughtai Lab (36%). The overall positive rate remained 29%.

Another source claimed that efforts were being made to attain a 100% conducting of the laboratories. 

"As many as 20 AKUH sites have been linked with every tehsil across the province, while 16 LUHMS sites have been linked with district headquarters." 

It was further learnt that sampling teams were also being enhanced at ground level but supply of sample extraction kits was still an issue. 

According to official data, the new infections reported on June 4 included 1,311 from Karachi, followed by Hyderabad (42), Ghotki (38), Kashmore (32), Khairpur (25), Sukkur (24), Larkana (22), Shaheed Benazirabad (21), Dadu (11), Sujawal (10), Badin (8), Jamshoro (7), Sanghar (5), Jacobabad (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (3), Umerkot (3), Matiari (1), Mirpurkhas (1) and Thatta (1). 

As of June 4, the ratio of women patients in the total 33,536 positive tests was found to be 28.3%. 

In the meantime, 764 patients were sent home after being cured, taking the tally of patients recovering from coronavirus disease to 16,782, while 1,170 were still admitted at different hospitals across the province, out of which 366 were told to be in critical condition and 66 of them were on ventilators.

It was gathered that bed occupancy rates have changed in the ICU and HDU units and isolation wards of different hospitals. 

The details of patients passing away because of COVID-19 could not be known once again as neither the Chief Minister provided the details of the 20 patients, who lost their lives in the province due to the diseases, nor the provincial health department released any summary or district-wise breakdown of deceased persons on June 4. “Including 20 patients who died during the last 24 hours, the death toll has increased to 575,” Chief Minister in his message said.