15 deaths in past 24 hours
COVID-19 claims 15 more lives across Pakistan over the past 24 hours on August 4. Five people succumbed to the viral disease in Sindh, according to a statement from Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
Similar reports were received from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, each province suffering a 24-hour death toll of 5 people. According to government figures, these new deaths bring the reported death toll of the pandemic to 6014, though independent data collection sources have suggested that these numbers are the result of underreporting by government officials.
Pandemic rages on in Balochistan
A spokesperson for the Balochistan Government, Liaquat Shahwani, reported that 34 new COVID-19 were detected in the province over Eid-ul-Azha.
This comes on the heels of a several-week period where infection incidence and death rates were reported to be dropping – just this week, the number of new cases in Islamabad decreased from 24 on Monday, August 3 to 19 on Tuesday, August 4. Balochistan itself has not reported a coronavirus-related death since July 22.
The detection of 34 fresh cases may be indicative of the fact that the pandemic is far from being quickly or easily stamped out, and remains unpredictable in nature, with figures peaking and slumping in different areas. During a conference in Quetta, Shahwani reiterated that it was difficult to say if the virus is waning despite witnessing a decline in COVID-19 cases.
Mandatory tests for symptomatic patients
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announces making coronavirus testing for those hospital patients displaying flu-like symptoms, fevers, or with respiratory problems.
Special stations will be set up in hospitals across the province to ensure testing. The decision comes in light of the provincial government’s move to learn more about the frequency of infection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to keep a better track of the number of the actual number of people who are unwell.
Chitral rural health unit hit by COVID-19
A rural health centre in Ayun, Chitral was sealed after six employees were diagnosed positive for the novel coronavirus disease. The facility was closed to protect patients from infection, and will soon be reopened after complete sterilization. Those close to or in recent contact with the six new COVID-19 patients have been informed and will be tested. Testing swabs have been transported to a diagnostic laboratory in Peshawar for analysis.
This development brings Chitral’s total number of active coronavirus cases to 137.
