LAHORE: With 40 more coronavirus deaths reported in Punjab during the last 24 hours, the province’s death toll has crossed the 10,000 mark and now stands at 10,039.

Out of 40 deaths, 15 were reported from Lahore, seven from Rawalpindi, six from Multan, four from D G Khan, three from Sargodha, two each from Faisalabad and Muzaffargarh and one from Rahim Yar Khan taking the death toll in these cities to 4090, 1563, 762, 109, 263, 1065, 222 and 219, respectively.

Out of 21881 corona tests conducted during the last 24 hours, as many as 424 fresh virus cases were reported across the province taking the provincial tally of cases to 340,110 with overall positivity rate of 1.93%.

There is significant cut in the number of fresh virus cases in the provincial metropolis, as 165 fresh virus cases and 15 deaths were reported during the last 24 hours.

With the recovery of 2161 more virus patients, the number of recovered patients in the province reached to 311,649. On the other hand, as many as 3,397 coronavirus recoveries were reported across the country taking the tally of total recoveries to 844,638 showing the recovery rate of 91.5 percent.

As per break-up of corona cases and deaths in major cities of the province, Lahore has so far reported 175871 cases and 4090 deaths, Rawalpindi 25755 cases and 1463 deaths, Faisalabad 21067 cases and 1065 deaths, Multan 17385 cases and 762 deaths, Bahawalpur 8018 cases and 236 deaths, Gujranwala 8196 cases and 391 deaths, Muzaffargarh 2197 cases and 107 deaths, Mianwali 1726 cases and 118 deaths, Rahim Yar Khan 5863 cases and 219 deaths, Sargodha 8268 cases and 263 deaths, Sheikhupura 3720 cases and 104 deaths and Sialkot reported 6969 cases and 226 deaths.

On the other hand, vaccination of the people of different age groups is underway at full swing at different vaccination centers across the province. Vaccine is being administered to the people at designated centers, a spokesman of the health department said, adding: “Necessary facilities are being extended to the people at these centres.”

The spokesman said that in the last two months, a record number of new vaccination centres have been set up in the province while the daily target set by the NCOC shall soon be achieved.

According to him, so far 355,208 healthcare workers have been administered the first dose whereas 218973 healthcare workers have been given their second dose. Overall 26,47,913 people have been administered first dose and 715, 536 people have been administered second dose. Overall 3.9 million have been vaccinated.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has expressed her resolve to double the vaccination target in the province by June and July.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021