COVID-19 situation: Punjab and Sindh
Punjab reported one virus-related death and 131 fresh cases in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, no COVID-19 fatalities were reported from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The greatest number of new infections in the province emerged in Lahore (68), with Gujranwala following with 20 cases.
In Sindh, seven people succumbed to the virus, taking the provincial death toll to 2,342, while 317 new cases emerged in the province within the same timeframe. A total of 8,561 tests were conducted on Wednesday, August 19, revealing a positivity rate of 4% in Sindh. So far, 914,884 tests have been conducted in the province.
Children at increased risk of violence and abuse during this pandemic: UNICEF
104 0f 136 countries surveyed as part of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) titled Socio-economic Impact Survey of COVID-19 Response reported disruption to services related to violence prevention and response, leaving children at increased risk of violence UNICEF report finds. Two-thirds of respondent countries, including Pakistan, reported at least one service had been severely impacted due to the pandemic. Closure of schools and restriction of movement left children stuck at home with their abusers, and the suspension of protection services and lack of reach to social workers meant that children had nowhere to turn to.