Coronavirus Update: Karachi under siege

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi, with 28 more COVID-19 cases, registered 736 new infections on July 11, pushing its tally of total infections to 78,375 and fatalities to 1,491, according to Sindh health department’s daily summary pertaining to the virus. 

As per provincial data, Karachi comprising of six districts, had 85% of the total COVID-19 deaths (1,747) that occurred across the province, while it housed 75% of the total (103,820) infected people in Sindh.

Karachi, in terms of new infections reported during the last 24 hours ending on July 11 afternoon, was followed by Shaheed Benazirabad (112), Shikarpur (112), Dadu (88), Hyderabad (74), Jacobabad (65), Sukkur (47), Sanghar (39), Kashmore (37), Kambar Shahdadkot (30), Umerkot (30), Naushero Feroze (27), Ghotki (15), Badin (13), Thatta (11), Jamshoro (6) and Khairpur (2). 

Sujawal, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Larkana, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar reported no new infection. There were 41,634 active COVID-19 cases across the province on July 11. 

Those who were reported dead in Karachi on July 11 included 20 men, aged from 24 to 95 years, and eight women, who were in the age brackets of 32 to 80 years. However the details about the number of lives lost in home-isolation or who died at hospitals could not be known as the concerned authorities did not release further details related to deaths of COVID-19 patients. 

Besides the Karachi fatalities, a man of 60 years and a woman of 75 years lost their lives at Hyderabad, while Larkana, Sukkur and Tando Allahyar registered one death each and all were men, aged 45 to 65 years.

In the meantime, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine COVID-19 statement on July 11, said that as many as 39,967 infected people were receiving treatment at homes, while another 402 were admitted to different isolation centres, in addition to 1265 hospitalized across the province, out of which 743 were in critical condition and 109 were put on ventilators.

He further remarked that COVID-19 cases were on increase in the rural areas. He once again urged the people to comply with the relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs) at every level.

According to a federal health ministry report on COVID-19 pandemic and Pakistan, updated on July 8, the number of women affected by the virus in the country was recorded as 65,428 (29% of the total infections), including 41,206 women of reproductive age (15-45) meaning 18.3%. The number of pregnant women affected by COVID-19 came as 3,664.

Pakistan aims to emerge as technological superpower

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan government aims to transform the country into a technological superpower within the next 10 years. The cities of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad will be turned into special economic zones.

In the next phase, a 200-acre health city will be built in Faisalabad, the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry, announced on July 11. 

He disclosed that the technology industry and businesses will be granted special incentives in these economic zones. According to him, the Ministry of Science and Technology has adopted ‘Made in Pakistan’ projects under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. 

“In Pakistan, sanitisers and masks were either not found or being sold in black (illegally), he regretted, adding that the country is not only fulfilling its needs now, it is exporting these products in millions. 

He also urged international companies to work in the country, assuring them of a competitive environment and relaxed tax structure. A first batch of local made ventilators had already handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) by the Prime Minister last week. 

The Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Health had also earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the indigenous development of electro-medical devices.