Courtesy PID
Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 924,667, against 848,685 recoveries and 20,930 deaths, leaving 55,052 active cases
Pakistan on Wednesday reported 1,843 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 47,183 tests—a positivity ratio of 3.91 percent.
Planning Minister Asad Umar has urged citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible, stressing that the government wants to avoid harsh lockdown restrictions over Eidul Azha, which would only be possible if a sufficient percentage of the population has been inoculated against the coronavirus. In a nationally televised briefing, he said that the government would invite stakeholders, including ulema, to join with it in reassuring citizens that the vaccines were safe and were the only way to overcome the pandemic.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 924,667 (Tests: 13,316,397)
Punjab – 340,557
Sindh – 319,447
Balochistan – 25,295
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 133,124
Islamabad – 81,357
Gilgit-Baltistan – 5,600
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 19,287
Deaths – 20,930
Recoveries – 848,685
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Wednesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 924,667. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 80 to 20,930. At the same time, recoveries increased by 4,047 to 848,685, or 91.8 percent of total infections. There are currently 55,052 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 3,767 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Wednesday, authorities reported 45 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 10,084. The province now has 340,557 confirmed cases; it reported 447 new infections after conducting 21,889 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.04 percent. There were 1,239 new recoveries recorded, leaving 311,988 fully recovered, and 18,485 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 319,447; it reported 868 new infections on Wednesday after administering 11,284 tests, a positivity ratio of 7.69 percent. The province reported 12 deaths, raising toll to 5,051, while its recoveries rose by 1,674 to 289,402. Overall, the province now has 24,994 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 302 new infections after conducting 7,699 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.92 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 133,124. It recorded 16 new deaths and 463 recoveries, raising toll to 4,095 and recoveries to 124,050. There are currently 4,979 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Wednesday raised its confirmed cases to 25,295 with 77 new infections after administering 1,414 tests for a positivity ratio of 5.45 percent. There were 2 deaths and 112 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 282 fatalities and 23,993 fully recovered. There are now 1,020 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 100 to 81,357 after conducting 4,023 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.49 percent. There was 1 death and 424 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 763 casualties; 76,066 recovered; and 4,528 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday recorded 12 new cases of COVID-19 after conducting 307 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.91 percent; it now has 5,600 confirmed cases. The region reported no new deaths and 6 recoveries, leaving 107 fatalities and 5,368 fully recovered people. There are currently 125 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 37 to 19,287 after administering 567 tests, a positivity ratio of 6.52 percent. There were 4 deaths and 129 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 548 fatalities and 17,818 fully recovered. It now has 921 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 171,938,586 people, with over 3,575,782 reported deaths. After having passed through two waves of the pandemic, the world is divided between countries that are either in the midst of a third wave driven by mutated variants, or have launched mass vaccination drives that are allowing them to reopen safely. There are mounting calls, including from the World Health Organization, for “vaccine equality,” i.e. for developed nations to stop hoarding vaccines in excess of their requirements and to share them with the developing world to help curb the spread of new mutated variants. Overall, around 154,427,901 patients of the 171.9 million+ infected have recovered thus far.