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Confirmed infections hit 296,590 against 281,459 recoveries and 6,318 deaths, leaving 8,813 active cases
Pakistan on Wednesday recorded 441 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 20,480 tests—a positivity ratio of 2.15 percent.
Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda on Tuesday assured Islamabad of all possible help to overcome the coronavirus situation. In a meeting with Adviser to the P.M. on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, he said Japan would provide debt relief to Pakistan to help the country stabilize its economy. The Japanese envoy also said that a formal Memorandum of Understanding would be signed with Pakistan in this regard following preliminary work on the debt relief initiative.
Pakistan’s welcome decline in daily infections and deaths, meanwhile, has encountered some trepidation from observers who warn that the country has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 68,190—reduced from a peak of 71,780—and is currently testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts. According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan’s testing policies likely only record the most symptomatic patients while ignoring the spread among asymptomatic carriers. Medical experts have also warned that the government’s decision to end nearly all movement restrictions at once risks a second wave of the virus.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 296,590 (Tests: 2,662,508)
Punjab – 96,921 (Tests: 960,666)
Sindh – 129,615 (Tests: 1,011,662)
Balochistan – 12,899 (Tests: 74,606)
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 36,265 (Tests: 278,003)
Islamabad – 15,666 (Tests: 268,240)
Gilgit-Baltistan – 2,922 (Tests: 24,153)
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 2,302 (Tests: 33,092)
Deaths – 6,318
Recoveries – 281,459
In the 24 hours preceding 9 a.m., Wednesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 296,590, while deaths increased by 20 to 6,318. At the same time, recoveries increased by 489 to 281,459, or 94.9 percent of total infections. There are currently 8,813 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC reporting 584 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Wednesday, authorities reported 5 new deaths due to COVID-19, raising fatalities to 2,204. The province reported 89 new infections, raising confirmed cases to 96,921, while its recoveries have increased by 13 to 92,512. There are now 2,205 active cases of the virus in the province.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh on Wednesday rose by 146 to 129,615. Additionally, the province’s death toll climbed by 6 to 2,409, while its recoveries rose by 310 to 123,384. Overall, the province now has 3,822 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Wednesday reported 5 new deaths, raising death toll to 1,255. In the past 24 hours, its recoveries rose by 49 to 34,027, while its confirmed cases have increased by 147 to 36,265. There are currently 983 active cases of coronavirus in the province.
Balochistan
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the province on Wednesday rose by 20 to 12,899. No new deaths were recorded, sustaining fatalities at 141, while 29 more patients have now fully recovered, raising to 11,823 the number of people who have beaten the virus. There are now 935 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 17 to 15,666. There were no new deaths and 35 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining casualties at 175 and raising recoveries to 15,035, leaving 456 active cases.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Gilgit-Baltistan rose by 19 on Wednesday to 2,922. The region reported 4 new deaths, raising toll to 71, while its recoveries have increased by 32 to 2,535, leaving 316 active cases.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases have increased by 3 to 2,302. There were no deaths and 21 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 63 fatalities and 2,143 fully recovered. It now has 96 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 25,904,605 people, with over 861,271 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 to help shuttered economies recover. Overall, around 18,196,508 patients of the 25.9 million+ infected have recovered thus far.