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Confirmed cases climb to 276,288 against 244,883 recoveries and 5,892 deaths, leaving 25,513 active cases
Pakistan on Wednesday recorded 1,063 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 21,256 tests—a positivity ratio of 5 percent.
“There is an improvement in the COVID situation in the country,” Aida Girma, UNICEF representative in Pakistan, told an online public event in Islamabad on Tuesday. “Across all indicators we are seeing improvement, and this is very encouraging. But it is too soon to celebrate. We can’t be complacent,” she warned. She also urged the government to redouble efforts ahead of Eidul Azha to ensure the gains Pakistan has made in the past few weeks are not lost.
Despite the optimism resulting from Pakistan’s positivity rate declining from over 20 percent to less than 10 percent in the past month, health experts have warned that the country has yet to fully utilize its claimed capacity of 71,780—and is testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts. According to the World Health Organization, the country is likely only recording the most symptomatic patients while ignoring the spread among asymptomatic carriers.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 276,288 (Tests: 1,931,102)
Punjab – 92,452 (Tests: 713,760)
Sindh – 119,398 (Tests: 727,972)
Balochistan – 11,654 (Tests: 59,380)
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 33,724 (Tests: 203,751)
Islamabad – 14,963 (Tests: 182,675)
Gilgit-Baltistan – 2,042 (Tests: 17,424)
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 2,055 (Tests: 25,329)
Deaths – 5,892
Recoveries – 244,883
In the 24 hours preceding 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 276,288, while deaths increased by 27 to 5,892. At the same time, recoveries increased by 2,447 to 244,883, or 88.6 percent of total infections. There are currently 25,513 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) reporting 1,179 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
The provincial government’s decision to shutter all shops and markets from July 28 till Aug. 5 in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 ahead of Eidul Azha provoked outrage from traders on Tuesday, as several shopkeepers defied the instructions and kept their shops operational. Demanding that the government reverse this decision, traders’ bodies have slammed it for inflicting “economic terrorism” on them.
On Wednesday, authorities reported 8 new deaths due to COVID-19, raising total fatalities to 2,133. The province also reported 173 new infections, raising confirmed cases to 94,452, against 82,512 recoveries. There are now 7,807 active cases of the virus in the province.
Sindh
The provincial government extended till 11 p.m. the operational timings of cattle markets, as reports from interior Sindh suggested local transmission was once more on the rise in the province due to non-compliance with social distancing guidelines. According to hospital staff, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur and Larkana are among the cities that have recently witnessed an uptick in local transmission.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh on Wednesday morning rose by 574 to 119,398. Additionally, the province’s death toll climbed by 10 to 2,172, while its recoveries rose by 509 to 108,989. Overall, the province now has 8,237 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government has urged the public to avoid tourist hotspots ahead of, and during, Eidul Azha, with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan saying efforts are underway to reopen the tourism sector with SOPs after the festivities are concluded.
The provincial government on Wednesday reported 6 new deaths, raising its death toll to 1,186. In the past 24 hours, its recoveries rose by 528 to 27,724, while its confirmed cases have increased by 214 to 33,724. There are currently 4,814 active cases of coronavirus in the province.
Balochistan
Provincial spokesman Liaquat Shahwani on Tuesday said the province had recorded its lowest positivity rate in the past 5 months, with only 3.2 percent of tests coming back positive for COVID-19. He said the recovery rate had also increased to 86.5 percent.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the province on Wednesday rose by 30 to 11,654. Overall, 136 people have died and 10,080 patients have fully recovered from the virus, leaving 1,438 active cases of COVID-19.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 25 to 14,963. There were no new deaths or recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining death toll at 165 and recoveries at 12,377, leaving 2,421 active cases.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Gilgit-Baltistan rose by 32 on Wednesday to 2,042. The region reported 2 new deaths, raising toll to 50, while its recoveries have increased by 45 to 1,658, leaving 334 active cases.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases have increased by 15 to 2,055. There was 1 death and 61 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 50 fatalities and 1,543 fully recovered. It has 462 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 16,897,200 people, with over 663,520 reported deaths. Governments across the word halted flights, locked down towns and cities and urged people to stay at home at the peak of the virus’s spread, but there are now signs of easements in nations that have reined it in to help shuttered economies recover. Overall, around 10,461,315 patients of the 16.8 million+ infected have recovered thus far.