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Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 916,239, against 836,702 recoveries and 20,680 deaths, leaving 58,857 active cases
Pakistan on Saturday reported 2,455 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 55,442 tests—a positivity ratio of 4.43 percent.
Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Pechuho on Friday confirmed that authorities had detected seven cases of the South African variant of the coronavirus, and one of the Indian variant, in Karachi, which is currently experiencing a rapid spread of the pandemic. This is the first confirmed case of the Indian variant to be detected in Pakistan. “Most of the cases had been reported in children below the age of 2 years so parents should get themselves inoculated as soon as possible so that they do not contract the virus from their children,” she said, adding that of 57 samples tested, 71 percent had been found to be of the South African variant and 20 percent of the British variant that had been driving the third wave of the pandemic last month.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 916,239 (Tests: 13,113,393)
Punjab – 338,377
Sindh – 315,410
Balochistan – 25,001
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 131,775
Islamabad – 81,007
Gilgit-Baltistan – 5,561
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 19,108
Deaths – 20,680
Recoveries – 836,702
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Saturday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 916,239. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 73 to 20,680. At the same time, recoveries increased by 2,136 to 836,702, or 91.3 percent of total infections. There are currently 58,857 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 4,083 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Saturday, authorities reported 35 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 9,960. The province now has 338,377 confirmed cases; it reported 602 new infections after conducting 25,181 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.39 percent. There were 559 new recoveries recorded, leaving 308,275 fully recovered, and 20,142 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 315,410; it reported 1,252 new infections on Saturday after administering 15,440 tests, a positivity ratio of 8.1 percent. The province reported 15 deaths, raising toll to 5,003, while its recoveries rose by 572 to 285,975. Overall, the province now has 24,432 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 364 new infections after conducting 7,979 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.56 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 131,775. It recorded 18 new deaths and 359 recoveries, raising toll to 4,043 and recoveries to 122,181. There are currently 5,551 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Saturday raised its confirmed cases to 25,001 with 93 new infections after administering 1,450 tests for a positivity ratio of 6.41 percent. There were no deaths and 40 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 273 fatalities and 23,565 fully recovered. There are now 1,163 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Saturday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 80 to 81,007 after conducting 4,225 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.89 percent. There were 2 deaths and 528 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 755 casualties; 74,271 recovered; and 5,981 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday recorded 16 new cases of COVID-19 after conducting 430 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.72 percent; it now has 5,561 confirmed cases. The region reported no new deaths and 18 recoveries, leaving 107 fatalities and 5,344 fully recovered people. There are currently 110 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 48 to 19,108 after administering 737 tests, a positivity ratio of 6.51 percent. There were 3 deaths and 60 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 539 fatalities and 17,091 fully recovered. It now has 1,478 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 170,153,479 people, with over 3,537,922 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 151,985,435 patients of the 170.1 million+ infected have recovered thus far.