Karachi COVID-19 cases near 5,000, Sindh worst-hit

Karachi, May 2 (IANS) The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karachi jumped by 446, taking the total to 4,873 — over a quarter of Pakistan’s total of 17,699, while Sindh province remained the worst-hit with 6,675 infections.

COVID-19 cases have risen almost 200 per cent in Karachi over the last 11 days, from 1,691 on April 20 to 4,873 on May 1, Dawn news reported.

According to a statement issued by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s office on Friday, 3,384 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the province during the past 24 hours out of which 622 had come back positive, taking the provincial total to 6,675; this means that nearly 20 per cent of the tests conducted came back positive.

In the statement, Shah said that six more deaths had been reported in Sindh during the past 24 hours, taking the toll to 118.

“This means that Sindh’s death toll makes up 1.76 per cent of the total number of patients.”

Shah said that 57,761 tests have been conducted in the province so far out of which 6,675 have come back positive.

He added that 45 patients were in critical condition, while 16 of them were on ventilators.

Pakistan’s overall death toll stood at 408 as of Saturday morning.

–IANS

ksk/