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Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 944,065, against 882,332 recoveries and 21,828 deaths, leaving 39,905 active cases
Pakistan on Wednesday reported 1,038 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 42,113 tests—a positivity ratio of 2.46 percent.
Major cities in Pakistan on Tuesday reported shortages of coronavirus vaccines, prompting the federal government to release 150,000 “reserved” doses as an emergency measure to meet requirements. An official of the National Health Services told media that the country was running short of various Chinese and European vaccines and was restricting their usage to citizens requiring their second doses. According to provincial authorities, Punjab capital Lahore had to shutter its vaccination drive on Tuesday, while in Sindh, people under 40 were turned away due to the shortage. Government officials have claimed they have reached out to China and the COVAX regime to expedite the arrival of additional vaccines.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 944,065 (Tests: 13,934,493)
Punjab – 344,379
Sindh – 329,279
Balochistan – 26,331
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 136,313
Islamabad – 82,207
Gilgit-Baltistan – 5,734
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 19,822
Deaths – 21,828
Recoveries – 882,332
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Wednesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 944,065. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 46 to 21,828. At the same time, recoveries increased by 2,016 to 882,332, or 93.5 percent of total infections. There are currently 39,905 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 2,490 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Wednesday, authorities reported 19 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 10,567. The province now has 344,379 confirmed cases; it reported 183 new infections after conducting 13,427 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.36 percent. There were 471 new recoveries recorded, leaving 323,113 fully recovered, and 10,699 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 329,279; it reported 616 new infections on Wednesday after administering 13,992 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.4 percent. The province reported 17 deaths, raising toll to 5,273, while its recoveries rose by 792 to 300,881. Overall, the province now has 23,125 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 108 new infections after conducting 8,519 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.27 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 136,313. It recorded 6 new deaths and 327 recoveries, raising toll to 4,240 and recoveries to 128,806. There are currently 3,267 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Wednesday raised its confirmed cases to 26,331 with 56 new infections after administering 1,188 tests for a positivity ratio of 4.7 percent. There were 3 deaths and 130 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 297 fatalities and 25,149 fully recovered. There are now 885 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 37 to 82,207 after conducting 4,170 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.89 percent. There were no deaths and 250 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 773 casualties; 80,103 recovered; and 1,331 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday recorded 7 new cases of COVID-19 after conducting 325 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.15 percent; it now has 5,734 confirmed cases. The region reported no new deaths and 3 recoveries, leaving 108 fatalities and 5,515 fully recovered people. There are currently 111 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 31 to 19,822 after administering 492 tests, a positivity ratio of 6.3 percent. There was 1 death and 43 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 570 fatalities and 18,765 fully recovered. It now has 487 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 177,414,471 people, with over 3,838,506 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 161,859,168 patients of the 177.4 million+ infected have recovered thus far.