Coronavirus Update: Sindh records single day’s highest death, infection

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The authorities in the Sindh government confirmed an all days’ highest 42 deaths of coronavirus patients on June 10 when the one-day new infections tally of the province also set a new record with 2,487 cases, which was 35.5% higher than that of June 3, which was then the all days' highest number of new infections. 

After reporting 1,836 cases on June 3, Sindh’s daily tally of new infections reduced gradually to 1,748 till June 9. Sindh’s maximum cases were registered at Karachi.

According to official statement, Karachi reported 1,755 new infections on June 10, followed by, Sukkur (344), Hyderabad (80), Ghotki (69), Larkana (40), Sanghar (37), Khairpur (29), Jamshoro (25), Dadu (25), Sujawal (23), Kashmore (22), Shikarpur (17), Mirpurkhas (13), Thatta (12), Tharparkar (11), Kambar Shadadkot (11), Umerkot (9), Jacobabad (8), Badin (4) and Tando Allahyar (1). 

In all 20 laboratories tested a collective 9,100 samples across the province on June 10, against their total capacity of 8,650, with a COVID-19 positivity rate of 27%. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his daily statement on coronavirus status in the province, said that the infection rate was alarmingly increasing. 

“If we did not adhere to the standard operating procedures at all levels, then the daily infection rate may increase further,” he warned, urging the masses to observe all preventive measures. 

He further shared that as many as 20,478 patients were in home-isolation while another 48 were kept in the government designated isolation centres and 1526 were hospitalized, out of which 493 were critically ill and 77 were receiving the ventilator interventions. 

In his statement he, however, did not give any breakdown of cities from where the 42 COVID-19 related deaths were reported during the last 24 hours, ending at 9 am on June 10. The ages of the deceased patients and names of hospitals also could not be known as the provincial health department kept a silence on the subject. 

According to the health department website, updated at 6.58 am on June 10, there were 45,028 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 756 deaths, while 21,453 patients recovered from the disease. 

In the meantime, an official data, also updated on June 10, revealed that of the 350 admissions at the Aga Khan University Hospital, 187 patients were cured while 72 died due to the lethal disease. Similarly, at the Civil Hospital Karachi 46 were cured, 62 died, out of 292 admissions; at Dow University hospital 51 were cured, out of 241 admissions, while the death toll came as 74 there. 

The Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation cured 59 of the 269 admissions where 74 died; Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre cured 20 patients while 84 lost lives, out of 180 admissions; at PNS Shifa 53 out of 145 admissions were cured, while 15 died; at Ziauddin Hospital, Clifton 31 cured, 41 lost life, out of 127 admissions; at Indus Hospital 22 were cured while 61 died, out of 120 admitted patients; at LUMHS Hyderabad 58 cured while 16 died of the 89 admissions. 

A report dealing with the COVID-19 infections among the healthcare providers, disclosed that there were a total 125 paramedical and other staff, 65 nurses and 626 doctors who got infected, against a national tally of 3,450 infected healthcare providers. 

As many as 346 infected health providers were in isolation, 18 were in stable condition, 439 recovered from the diseases, while 12 could not survive the infection and died, the report mentioned.

Complete debris of crashed PIA plane finally removed

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

All debris of PIA crashed plane, of what turned out to be a Herculean task, was finally completed on June 10. In the final phase the A-320 engine was lifted from the site of the crashed plane in Karachi’s densely populated area of Model Colony. 

It may be recalled that on May 22, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight 8303, while flying from Lahore, crashed minutes away from the Jinnah International Terminal in Karachi, killing all but two out of 99 passengers on board. One of the lucky survivors was a senior executive officer of a private bank. 

The final task of removing all debris was completed on June 10 after 19 days of the crash as all the damaged parts of the ill-fated aircraft were transported to a site allocated near Karachi airport. 

The Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA), during the next couple of days, is expected to commence the assessment of the damage caused to the houses on which the plane fell down.

The Federal Minister for Aviation, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, has announced on the floor of the National Assembly, that the government will compensate not only the passengers on board the crashed plane but also those having their properties damaged on the ground as well as the ones who died or sustained injuries. 

As per reports, there were three persons including a housemaid to have received critical burn injuries when the aircraft crashed into the houses. The maid was later reported to have succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.

Chinese help in fight against COVID-19 continues

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

Both the Chinese government and people are committed to support Pakistan as their top priority in combating COVID-19. 

In addition to state-level medical aid from China, the non-governmental organizations have also donated medical goods and funds to help Pakistan in meeting the challenge against the deadly virus. 

In this connection, the Beijing Global Talent Exchange Association (BGTEA) has taken up an initiative to accelerate medical supplies to Pakistan. 

Under this endeavour, the Beijing Anngeen Technologies and the Beijing Shenzhou Hanfang Pharmaceutical Technology have donated medical goods worth over PKR 19.4 million. 

Meanwhile, Yutong, a Chinese bus manufacturing company, has reportedly gifted 50,000 surgical masks to the provincial transport administration in Lahore.