Coronavirus Update: Highest single-day fatalities in Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Amidst reports that Pakistan’s daily COVID-19 infections rate was falling, Sindh registered 1,539 new cases on June 29 when the government authorities confirmed yet another all days’ highest 74 fatalities due to the virus in the province, bringing the death tally to 1,343. 

Earlier, the health authorities had confirmed all days’ highest 49 deaths in Sindh, including 44 at Karachi, on June 19. Sindh witnessed an average of 35 COVID-19 deaths daily during the week ending on June 29. 

In his daily statement on coronavirus situation, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, among other details shared the number of latest COVID-19 deaths on June 29, while there was no additional information about the districts which the deceased patients belonged to or their respective age and hospitals where they were taking the treatment. 

Contrary to the Chief Minister's statement, a federal government organized dashboard showed that 55 people died of COVID-19 on June 29 and 45 on June 28 in Sindh, which was different to the figures released by the provincial government. 

On the other hand, a website managed by the Sindh health department showed the overall COVID-19 death toll as 1,378, while the total infections remained 82,516 in Sindh. 

Of the 1,539 cases confirmed during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 29, 689 (45%) were registered at Karachi, while remaining 850 (55%) were reported from the interior districts of Sindh, which passed the impression that number of testing had increased in the districts other than those of Karachi division. 

Hyderabad reported 93 new infections, followed by Ghotki (76), Sukkur (74), Mirpurkhas (34), Tando Allahyar (32), Jacobabad (28), Sanghar (23), Shaheed Benazirabad (23), Larkana (22), Kambar Shadakot (19), Shikarpur (19), Dadu (13), Umerkot (12), Badin (9), Naushero Feroze (9), Sujawal (6), Tando Mohammad Khan (5), Thatta (4), Kashmore (2), Kandhkot (1) and Matiari (1). 

The daily infection rate came as 18.8%, against 24% of June 28, with an overall case fatality rate of 1.7%. 

According to a report, the number of daily COVID-19 cases has decreased from 6,604, recorded on June 19, to 3,557, recorded on June 28, across the country, which indicated a reduction of 43% in 10 days.