KARACHI: The number of COVID-19 deaths occurring in the interior districts of Sindh increased to 162 on June 21 when the health authorities confirmed another 41 fatalities across the province, including 31 those of Karachi, with 2,275 new infection cases.

This was for the first time that districts other than those of Karachi division witnessed 10 coronavirus related deaths in a day since the outbreak of the global pandemic in the province. The case fatality rate rose to 1.18% compared to 1.15% recorded on June 20.

According to official data, as of June 21, among the interior districts, Hyderabad reported the maximum 40 COVID-19 deaths so far, followed by Larkana (21), Sukkur (17), Shikarpur (11), Sanghar 9), Khairpur (7), Kambar Shahdadkot (7), Ghotki (6), Kashmore (6), Thatta (5), Badin (5), Shaheed Benazirabad (4), Dadu (4), Mirpurkhas (4), Sujawal (4), Naushero Feroze (3), Jacobabad ( 3), Jamshoro (2), Matiari (2), Umerkot (1) and Tando Mohammad Khan (1).

It was learnt that as many as four COVID-19 patients were on ventilators and 56 off ventilators, in the intensive care units of various hospitals located in Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana divisions while 113 patients were on ventilators and 138 off ventilators in the Karachi division hospitals at 12 noon on June 20.

In the meantime, four COVID-19 laboratories in the interior of Sindh tested 5,597 samples during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 21, out of which 991 (18%) were detected positive for the virus.

The health department’s daily summary disclosed that as many as 31 patients lost their lives in Karachi hospitals or homes, while 10 others in Sujawal, Larkana, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Umerkot.

The deceased persons at Karachi, including 11 women, were aged 35 to 92 years, while three patients, including a woman, who died at Hyderabad hospitals, were in the age brackets of 47 to 67 years.

Sujawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Jacobabad and Umerkot reported death of one man each, who were aged from 45 to 80 years. Larkana and Sukkur registered deaths of one woman each, who were in the age brackets of 58 to 67 years.

In the meantime, according to another official report, two patients died at home in Sindh on June 20. On June 21, as per the provincial health department, 1,756 new COVID-19 cases were registered at Karachi, pushing the provincial tally of overall infection to 69,628.

Among other districts, Ghotki reported 74 new infections, followed by Sukkur (74), Khairpur (64), Hyderabad (45), Mirpurkhas (39), Shikarpur (38), Shaheed Benazirabad (36), Kashnore (33), Thatta (28), Larkana (20), Jamshoro (13), Naushero Feroze (12), Umerkot (11), Tando Allahyar (10), Dadu (7), Matiari (6), Kambar Shahdadkot (5), Sujawal (2), and Tando Mohammad Khan (2).

Meanwhile, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, on June 21, inaugurated a 140-bed high dependency facility at the Karachi Expo Centre, where a Field Isolation Centre had already been functioning for COVID-19 patients–PNFS