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Confirmed infections hit 302,020 against 289,806 recoveries and 6,383 deaths, leaving 5,831 active cases
Pakistan on Monday reported 539 infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 28,823 tests—a positivity ratio of 1.87 percent.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday morning welcomed children back to school, as educational institutions are set to commence operations from tomorrow (Sept. 15). In the first phase, higher education facilities and grades 9 through 11 would be allowed to open; from next week, grades 6-8 are set to reopen; and in the final phase primary education facilities would be reopened.
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 73,680 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 – 302,020 (Tests: 2,968,613)
Punjab – 97,760
Sindh – 132,084
Balochistan – 13,595
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 36,992
Islamabad – 15,941
Gilgit-Baltistan – 3,227
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 2,421
Deaths – 6,383
Recoveries – 289,806
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Monday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 302,020. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 4 to 6,383. At the same time, recoveries increased by 377 to 289,806, or 96 percent of total infections. There are currently 5,831 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC reporting 551 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Monday, authorities reported no new deaths due to COVID-19, sustaining fatalities at 2,217. The province conducted 8,319 tests, raising confirmed cases to 97,760 with 81 new infections. Meanwhile, its recoveries have increased by 52 to 94,505. There are now 1,038 active cases of the virus in the province.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh on Monday rose by 204 to 132,084 against 12,914 tests. Additionally, the province’s death toll climbed by 2 to 2,445, while its recoveries rose by 31 to 127,449. Overall, the province now has 2,190 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Monday reported no new deaths, sustaining toll at 1,257. In the past 24 hours, its recoveries rose by 173 to 35,067 while its confirmed cases have increased by 50 to 36,992. The province conducted 2,860 tests on Sunday and currently has 668 active cases of coronavirus.
Balochistan
The province conducted 750 tests on Sunday, raising confirmed cases to 13,595 with 112 new infections. There were no new deaths and 76 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining fatalities at 145 and raising recoveries to 12,412. There are now 1,038 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Monday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 40 to 15,941 after conducting 3,057 tests. There was no new death and 24 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining casualties at 178 and raising recoveries to 15,351, leaving 412 active cases.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday increased by 31 to 3,227 after conducting 370 tests. The region reported 2 new deaths, raising toll to 76, while its recoveries increased by 21 to 2,810, leaving 341 active cases.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases have increased by 21 to 2,421 after conducting 553 tests. There were no new deaths or recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 65 fatalities and 2,212 fully recovered. It now has 144 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 29,184,740 people, with over 928,287 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 21,030,791 patients of the 29.1 million+ infected have recovered thus far.