209 new patients of virus emerged, 2 died: Murad

Sher Afzal

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that 209 new cases of coronavirus have emerged during the last 24 hours, out of them 132 patients are from Tabligh Jamaat, while 77 belongs to Karachi, particularly of Katchiabadis areas.

In his video message in which he reached out to people of Sindh and overseas Pakistanis said that during last 24 four hours (from 8 am to 8 am of April 16 & 17), he said that 2372 tests were conducted, out of which 209 new cases detected, said a statement on Friday.

The Sindh Chief Minister said that the tests conducted so far come to 21272 which resulted in 2217 positive cases.

Syed Murad Ali Shah disclosed that two more coronavirus patients died due to infection. The number of deaths so far has reached to 47 which was 2.1 percent, he said and added 1589 patients were still under treatment, including 872 in home isolation, 469 at Isolation centers and 248 in hospitals.

He said that five patients recovered completely and sent back to their homes with a certificate of recovery. He added that 581 patients have recovered so far which was 26 percent of the patients.

Speaking about Tabligh Jamaat, the chief minister said that there were 4692, of them 4653 have been tested and as per results, 429 have been diagnosed as positive while 91 results were awaited. The coronavirus positive patients of Tabligh Jamaat have been kept in isolation and it was an attempt to stop the spread of virus, he added.

Speaking about the coronavirus situation in Karachi, the chief minister said that except people of Tabligh Jamaat, all the 77 new cases have been detected in katchiabadis of the city.

Giving district-wise break up of 77 cases, the chief minister shared the data that in South, it has 30 cases detected from Lyari, Kharadar and Lee Markeet. Burns Road and Kalapul, Shoe Market, Saddar and Garden areas. 

He said that the district East has 16 cases and they have been detected from the areas of Gulbahar, Johar, Sharif Colony, Khalil Colony and KECHS.The district Korangi has six cases detected from Nasir Colony, Shareef Colony, Faisal Colony, and PIA Society.

He said that the district Malir has six cases which are located in Landhi and Gulshan-e-Hadeed.

The district West has eight cases which are located in the areas of Afghan Basti, Katchiabadis, Northern Byepass and Baldia.

The district Central, the chief minister said that has 11 cases and most of them are in their slum areas.

He said the Central was thickly populated, therefore more precautionary measures should be taken by the resident of the area.

The chief minister said that under the new strategy the hotspots where more cases were being detected would be closed completely.

“I am quite upset with the spread, therefore without observing complete social distancing and isolation of the people we would not be able to contain the virus,” he said and added the collection of samples from the hotspots of the city have been increased.