Covid-19 claims nine more lives in KP.

PESHAWAR -- Nine more persons died of coronavirus on Thursday bringing the total number of fatalities due to the infection in the province to 284 as 171 new cases were reported.

Daily update report by health department said that the deceased persons included four from Peshawar and one each from Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Swat and Malakand districts.

With 171 new cases, the province-wide tally of confirmed cases reached 5,423. The province also recorded 113 recoveries from the infectious ailment, taking number of totally healed persons from the infection to 1,505.

In a related development, the head of intensive care unit at Lady Reading Hospital, Dr Ayesha Mufti, and ICU specialist Dr Mazhar resigned over what they called the administration's inability to make proper preparations for dealing with the pandemic of Covid-19, according to sources.

Senior LRH doctor quits over unsatisfactory arrangements for dealing with pandemic

Sources said that both the doctors informed the administration that the care provided to the critically-ill patients was not up to the desired level. However, Dr Mazhar told Dawn that he did not tender resignation but had reservations.

Peshawar continues to contribute to province-wide fatalities as well as confirmation of new cases. The number of deceased persons from the pandemic stands at 168 and confirmed cases are 2,160 in Peshawar, which has also recorded 151 recoveries from the ailment, the most in the province.

Swat and Mardan districts have reported 23 and 20 deaths from the virus, respectively. Both the districts have 402 and 298 confirmed patients, respectively.

Nowshera has recorded nine deaths and 128 cases; Malakand eight deaths and 281; Swabi seven deaths and 62 cases; Dir Lower six deaths and 159 cases; Abbottabad six deaths and 108 cases; Mansehra five deaths and 105 cases; Charsadda five deaths and 93 cases; Kohat four deaths and 91 cases; Battagram three deaths and 57 cases; Kurram three deaths and 46 cases; Shangla two deaths and 75 cases; Bajaur three deaths and 88 cases; Dir Upper two deaths and 128 cases; Bannu two deaths and 84 cases; and Buner has recorded two deaths and 142 cases.

All seven divisions in the province remained endemic for...