ISLAMABAD — The Pakistani capital of Islamabad has been facing a continuous rise in dengue fever cases, leading to pressure on the public and private hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said Tuesday.

Islamabad District Health Officer Zaeem Zia told media that Tuesday is the second consecutive day when the capital reported over 100 dengue fever patients, increasing the overall tally to 1,343 cases this year.

“On Tuesday, at least 113 people contracted the fever and five more succumbed to it in a day,” said the official, adding that over 200 patients are under treatment at different hospitals.

The official said that the capital witnessed a very high tally of 121 dengue fever patients in a day on Monday.

According to the health officer, 896 cases were reported from rural areas while 447 cases were confirmed in urban areas of Islamabad.

The Islamabad administration has launched an anti-dengue campaign in response to the alarmingly high levels of dengue fever cases.

The country’s eastern Punjab province which appeared as the most affected region so far has already sped up multiple actions against it and has also declared an emergency at all hospitals in the provincial capital Lahore.(Xinhua)