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Confirmed cases rise to 303,634 against 291,169 recoveries and 6,399 deaths, leaving 6,066 active cases
Pakistan on Thursday reported 545 infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 31,808 tests—a positivity ratio of 1.71 percent.
A new Asian Development Bank report has claimed Pakistan’s economy might grow at 2% in the ongoing fiscal year—the fifth lowest among South Asian countries. The Asian Development Outlook-Update said that Pakistan’s growth is forecast to recover due to improving economic sentiment with a decline in coronavirus infections.
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 77,156 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, which recent studies have suggested comprise the majority of infections in the country. 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 – 303,634 (Tests: 3,056,795)
Punjab – 98,041
Sindh – 132,818
Balochistan – 13,798
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 37,185
Islamabad – 16,005
Gilgit-Baltistan – 3,336
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 2,451
Deaths – 6,399
Recoveries – 291,169
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Thursday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 303,634. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 6 to 6,399. At the same time, recoveries increased by 409 to 291,169, or 95.9 percent of total infections. There are currently 6,066 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC reporting 593 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Thursday, authorities reported 3 new deaths due to COVID-19, raising fatalities to 2,223. The province conducted 11,409 tests, raising confirmed cases to 98,041 with 95 new infections. Meanwhile, its recoveries have increased by 28 to 94,721. There are now 1,097 active cases of the virus in the province.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh on Thursday rose by 227 to 132,818 against 13,314 tests. The province reported 3 new deaths, raising death toll to 2,451, while its recoveries rose by 86 to 127,813. Overall, the province now has 2,554 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Thursday reported no new deaths, sustaining toll at 1,257. In the past 24 hours, its recoveries rose by 106 to 35,287 while its confirmed cases have increased by 45 to 37,185. The province conducted 2,435 tests on Wednesday and currently has 641 active cases of coronavirus.
Balochistan
The province conducted 753 tests on Wednesday, raising confirmed cases to 13,798 with 108 new infections. There were no new deaths and 112 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining fatalities at 145 and raising recoveries to 12,770. There are now 883 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Thursday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 21 to 16,005 after conducting 3,052 tests. There were no deaths and 23 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining casualties at 178 and raising recoveries to 15,453, leaving 374 active cases.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday increased by 39 to 3,336 after conducting 390 tests. The region reported no new deaths, sustaining toll at 79, while its recoveries increased by 35 to 2,894, leaving 363 active cases.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases have increased by 10 to 2,451 after conducting 455 tests. There were no deaths and 19 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 66 fatalities and 2,231 fully recovered. It now has 154 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 30,036,868 people, with over 945,092 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 21,804,030 patients of the 30 million+ infected have recovered thus far.