Coronavirus-related deaths of Karachi police officers rise to five as another one succumbs

By
Afzal Nadeem Dogar
Police vehicles patrol on roads after the government of Sindh announced a two-week province-wide lockdown in Karachi, Pakistan, April 2, 2020. APP/Syed Abbas Mehdi/Files

KARACHI: The number of Karachi police officers who have died of the coronavirus on Tuesday rose to five as another official succumbed to the deadly COVID-19 infection.

Apart from those who lost their lives to the virus, some 121 police officers across the province have been admitted to various hospitals and isolation centres or in self-isolation at their respective homes.

According to authorities, the late sub-inspector (SI) was stationed at one of the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme's collection centres in the city's Razzaqabad neighbourhood where he dealt with hundreds of deserving people coming to receive Rs12,000 under Prime Minister Imran Khan's relief package.

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While on duty, the police officer contracted the deadly coronavirus and was shifted to a hospital after his test results came out positive. Since the past few days, reports from the medical facility indicated that his condition was worsening continuously and he passed away Tuesday evening.

A day prior, another police officer had died of the coronavirus.

Sources informed Geo News that another five employees of the Sindh Police were diagnosed as positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday.

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The total number of police officers who tested positive for the virus has shot to 157, of which five have passed away, 121 are active cases, and 31 have successfully recovered.

The pandemic has most-severely affected police officers in Karachi as opposed to other cities. As of reporting time, 12,610 of Pakistan's almost 33,000 total coronavirus cases are in Sindh, with Punjab trailing shortly behind at 11,869 cases; 734 people in total have died of the virus.

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Women comprise at least 10% of coronavirus cases in each Sindh district