Coronavirus Update: Sindh registers highest single-day death toll

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The number of people, who died after testing positive for coronavirus, rose to 336 in Sindh, as the health authorities confirmed an all days’ highest death toll of 20 at 8 am on May 21, with 960 new infections. 

Further, a study of the COVID-19 data related to Sindh revealed that the rates of new infections and deaths rose almost at the same pace. There was an increase of 430% in coronavirus death incidences, counted 78 on April 25, while new infection tally (4,232) increased by 470% during the same period of April 25 to May 21.

As of May 21, Sindh housed about 41% of the total COVID-19 positives cases of the country, while 32% of the country’s relevant deaths (1,037) had taken place in the province. 

The Sindh health department’s daily COVID summary disclosed that Sindh’s tally of positive cases was inching towards 20,000 as well. 

As many as 19,924 people tested positive for coronavirus till May 21, out of which 6,325 recovered, while 13,263 were still active patients, including 11,735 isolated at their homes. 

On May 21, Karachi reported 856 new infections, followed by Shikarpur (22), Hyderabad (17), Larkana (14), Kambar Shadadkot (9), Sukkur (9), Ghotki (7), Shaheed Benazirabad (3), Sanghar (3), Mirpurkhas (2), Jacobabad (2), while Jamshoro, Naushero Feroz, Sujawal and Dadu districts reported one new case each.

In all 16 patients were declared dead at Karachi hospitals, including 13 men, whose ages ranged from 31 to 75 years, and three women living in the age brackets of 42 to 68 years, pushing the Karachi COVID-19 death toll to 276. 

Another two men lost their lives in Larkana. They were aged 65 and 69 years respectively. Sukkur and Khairpur reported deaths of one man each, who were aged 65 and 80 years respectively. 

According to official data, as many as 276 patients have so far died at government and private hospitals across the province including Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (49), Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha (49), Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (45), Aga Khan University Hospital (33), Indus Hospital, Korangi (30), Civil Hospital Karachi (23), Ziauddin Hospital (9), PNS Shifa (9), Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (9), Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (5) and others.