Coronavirus Update: Fresh spike in Karachi

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Only after gap of a day, Karachi’s contribution to the total daily COVID-19 cases of Sindh increased again on July 17 when authorities in the government confirmed 1,170 new infections, including 477 those of Karachi, during the last 24 hours, with 30 new deaths.

As per Sindh data, Karachi had 477 (42%) new cases on July 17, against 36% of July 16, while the number of infections registered by Karachi on July l5 came as 46%. 

District East in Karachi reported a maximum 153 new cases during the last 24 hours ending in the morning of July 17, followed by District South (117), Central (72) and others.  

Sindh’s daily infection rate came as 11% on July 17, out of 10,299 new samples tested across the province. The province had an overall COVID-19 infection rate of 17%. 

After Karachi, Hyderabad reported the maximum of (96) new cases, followed by Khairpur (46), Tharparkar (44), Sanghar (44), Shaheed Benazirabad (42), Sukkur (38), Ghotki (38), Mirpurkhas (33), Thatta (29), Naushero Feroze (26), Tando Mohammad Khan (24), Jamshoro (18), Larkana (17), Dadu (16) and Kashmore (5). 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his daily statement on coronavirus infection status on July 17, said that 21,183 patients were receiving treatment at homes, isolation centres and hospitals, out of which 419 in critical conditions, while 69 were put on ventilators.

He said that with the registration of yet another 30 new deaths across the province the overall COVID-19 fatality tally increased to 1,952.

However, he did not detail about the deaths in his statement, while the provincial health department also failed to give any COVID-19 summary or information about districts where the patients lost their lives.

According to a WHO Sindh sub-office report, laboratories across the province handled 10,574 COVID-19 samples on July 16, out of which 5,737 were at Karachi laboratories, 4782 at Hyderabad and 55 at Sukkur.

As many as 21% of the samples tested positive at Karachi, 11% at Hyderabad and 4% at Sukkur.