ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Less than two weeks after the capital reported 771 cases of Covid-19 in a single day, the administration is claiming to have controlled the spread of the virus enough that Islamabad has reported fewer than 400 new cases every day in the days following lockdowns in hotspots.

Officials in the capital administration said the highest number of Covid-19 cases reported this month was on June 14, with 771 new patients. This fell to 635 on June 15, after which it has not crossed 400.

Islamabad reported 288 cases on June 16, 385 on June 17, 395 on June 18, 304 on June 19, 338 on June 20, 383 on June 31, 250 on June 22, 307 on June 23 and 264 on June 24, they said. There were also three deaths reported on June 14, five on June 15, seven on June 16, four on June 17, one on June 18, three each on June 20 and 21, five on June 22, two on June 23 and seven on June 24.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafgaat said the administration had worked hard to minimise the spread of the coronavirus, which was now being controlled. He said the number of new cases per day was down from 600-700 to less than 400 as a result of sealing hotspots and implementing standard operating procedures.

Two sub-sectors of G-9 were sealed on June 13 and two subsectors of I-8 and I-10 were sealed on June 18, he said. These six areas were identified as hotspots with a high level of transmission, which has since reduced.

Mr Shafgaat was hopeful that the spread of the coronavirus will be controlled further in coming days, as four areas in three more sub-sectors were sealed on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, 264 more people were diagnosed with Covid-19 and seven patients died from the disease.

The seven deaths were reported from six hospitals in the city, including two at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. The deceased included two women between the ages of 50 and 59, two men between the ages of 80 and 89, one man between the ages of 40 and 49, one woman between the ages of 60 and 69 and one man between the ages of 70 and 79.There were 19 cases reported from Bhara Kahu, 18 from I-8, 15 each from G-9 and G-11, 14 each from I-10 and the Defence Housing Authority, 13 each from G-7 and G-10, 11 from G-8, 10 from G-6, nine from Tarlai, eight from Khanna, seven each from Alipur and Chak Shahzad, six each from Sohan, G-13, F-10 and Bahria Town, five from I-9, four each from Shah Allah Ditta, G-5, F-8 and F-11, three each from Lehtrar, Sihala, H-13, Ghouri Town, G-15 and E-11, two each from P.W.D., E-7, I-14, F-5, F-6, F-7, Jinnah Garden, Soan Garden and Rawal Town and one each from Model Town, Korang Town, Naval Anchorage, I-11, H-8, H-12 and D-17.

Rawalpindi Another 61 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the garrison city on Wednesday, while 31 patients recovered.

According to data available on the Punjab Dashboard, 22 deaths from Covid-19 were also reported in the district.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that as of Wednesday, the dashboard includes data from private hospitals and added that `backdated deaths` are included as well.

He said private hospitals and clinics have been asked to send daily records of Covid-19 tests and deaths to the Punjab Primary Health Department. Their data was not incorporated into the dashboard last week.

The government has also made it mandatory for government and private hospitals to make daily lists of Covid-19 patients and deaths.

With 61 more patients, Rawalpindi district has now reported 5,325 Covid-19 cases as well as 241 deaths and 2,594 recoveries.

At present, there are 986 patients being treated in hospitals, 1,504 under home isolation and 273 patients who belong to other districts.

Another 1,784 suspected patients have been admitted to the four hospitals in the city and their samples sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Holy Family Hospital laboratories for testing.

Local administrations have kept 5,600 people who were in contact with confirmed patients under observation in their homes.

In addition, 173 members of the Tableeghi Jamaat have been tested in the last three days; 150 were negative for Covid-19, while 13 people who tested positive are isolated in their homes and the results of 10 are still pending.

Also on Wednesday, eight shops were sealed in the district and Rs45,500 in fines imposed on shopkeepers for violating standard operating procedures (SOP) to limit the spread of the coronavirus. A total of 42 vehicles were impounded and Rs51,000 in fines were imposed on public transport for violating SOPs.