Courtesy PID
Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 1,507,657, against 1,440,292 recoveries and 30,153 deaths, leaving 37,212 active cases
Pakistan on Saturday reported 1,207 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 53,625 tests—a positivity ratio of 2.25 percent.
The Economic Coordination Committee of the federal cabinet on Friday approved Rs. 450 million for a project of the Ministry of National Health Services aimed at effectively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘Strengthening Existing Capacity for National Institute of Health for Effective Response Against COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan’ project would re-purpose an Australian grant toward the Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19 for its efficient and effective utilization to strengthen laboratory and diagnostic systems to ensure prompt case finding and local containment and increase diagnostic and testing capacity.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 1,507,657 (Tests: 26,353,468)
Punjab – 500,789
Sindh – 567,000
Balochistan – 35,322
Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa – 215,936
Islamabad – 134,240
Gilgit-Baltistan – 11,461
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 42,909
Deaths – 30,153
Recoveries – 1,440,292
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Saturday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 1,507,657. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 14 to 30,153. At the same time, recoveries increased by 25,313 to 1,440,292, or 95.5 percent of total infections. There are currently 37,212 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 1,117 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Saturday, authorities reported 7 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 13,493. The province now has 500,789 confirmed cases; it reported 394 new infections after administering 18,535 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.12 percent. There were 483 new recoveries recorded, leaving 482,082 fully recovered, and 5,214 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 567,000; it reported 495 new infections on Saturday after conducting 23,745 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.1 percent. The province reported 4 deaths and 23,665 recoveries, leaving 8,062 deaths and 536,266 total recovered. Overall, the province now has 22,672 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Saturday reported 193 new cases after administering 5,154 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.7 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 215,936. It recorded 2 new deaths and 905 recoveries, raising toll to 6,237 and recoveries to 201,774. There are currently 7,925 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Saturday raised its total confirmed cases to 35,322, reporting 6 new infections after conducting 525 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.14 percent. There were no deaths and 61 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 375 fatalities and 34,858 fully recovered. There are now 89 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Saturday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases to 134,240, reporting 71 new cases after conducting 4,450 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.6 percent. There were no deaths and 59 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 1,009 casualties; 132,624 recovered; and 607 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported 13 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday after conducting 367 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.5 percent; it currently has 11,461 confirmed cases. There was 1 death and 25 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 190 fatalities; 11,097 fully recovered people; and 174 active cases of COVID-19.
Pakistan-administered Kashmir has reported 35 new cases of COVID-19 after administering 849 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.1 percent, raising confirmed cases to 42,909. There were no deaths and 115 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 787 fatalities and 41,591 fully recovered. It now has 531 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 433,612,316 people, with over 5,957,187 reported deaths. As the world recovers from a fifth wave of the pandemic caused by the highly infectious Omicron variant, with some observers claiming its rapid spread has provided “short-term immunity” to large segments of the global population, the World Health Organization continues to call 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. The global health body has stressed that deploying vaccine boosters for the already vaccinated does not help counter the mutation of new variants in populations that have yet to be inoculated and warned that if everyone isn’t safe, then no one is. Overall, around 363,106,032 patients of the 433.6 million+ infected have recovered thus far.