Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Web Desk

Record 38 deaths take Sindh's coronavirus mortality rate to 1.7%

By
Web Desk
|
Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah. — Twitter

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah revealed Saturday the province's coronavirus mortality rate had risen from 1.6% to 1.7% as it registered record 38 deaths in 24 hours. The greatest number previously was witnessed a day earlier — 31.

“Now, the situation is a little worrisome as 522 patients recovered and 1,247 [were] admitted. This means there is a wide difference between admission and discharge — the health system is coming [under] pressure,” Shah noted.

The province along with recording 38 deaths, registered 1,247 new infections bumping the provincial death toll to 465 and overall cases to 13,623.

Read more:  Sindh government rubbishes rumours of imposing curfew

The provincial chief said that the situation is moving from "bad to worse" as during the last two days 69 precious lives have been lost. "This is quite painful and unbearable for the aggrieved families."

Shah said that 5,481 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours against which 1,247 cases were detected. “This shows a 23% result which is higher than [several] countries,” he said.

He said that the province had conducted 176,703 tests so far, which "produced 15.5% or 27,360 cases".

Shah said that 522 patients had recovered in the last 24 hours. The total number of recoveries so far has reached 13,272, taking the recovery ratio to 48.5%.

Over 300 in critical condition 

“I am sorry to say that 310 patients [are] in critical condition while 68 of them have been shifted to ventilators,” he said.

Read more: Sindh asks Centre to reconsider handing over of COVID-19 victims' bodies to families 

“Our home isolation experience is going well and presently 12,565 patients being treated in home atmosphere, in [home] isolation," he said, adding: "127 patients were in isolation centres and 931 in different hospitals."

The provincial chief said that Sindh aimed at expanding its current healthcare facilities by establishing two "coronavirus infectious disease hospitals, one at NIPA and the other opposite Karachi University”. He said "work on finishing these projects and installation of necessary equipment was going on round-the-clock".

Karachi records most cases

The chief minister said that out of a total 1,247 new cases, Karachi had recorded 923.

Giving a district-wise break down he said: "A total of 215 were recorded in Korangi, 213 in East district, 183 in Central, 180 in South, 63 in Malir, and 69 in West."

Read more: No decision made to relax or tighten lockdown in Sindh

Meanwhile, 29 cases were reported in Ghotki, 24 in Hyderabad, 23 in Larkana, 22 in Jacobabad, 21 in Sukkur, 20 in Shikarpur, 14 in Jamshoro, eight in Shaheed Benazirabad, seven in Khairpur, five in Mirpurkhas, four each in Dadu and Kashmore, and three each in Badin and Thatta.

Bodies of 68 plane crash victims identified

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that among the 97, who died in a plane crash on May 22, bodies of 68 had been identified and handed over to their heirs.

He said that at present 10 bodies were in the mortuary of Chhipa and 19 at Edhi. “We have identified 29 bodies through DNA and one DNA [sample] is yet to be matched."