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Confirmed infections reach 560,363, against 518,164 recoveries and 12,218 deaths, leaving 29,981 active cases
Pakistan on Friday reported 1,270 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 35,280 tests—a positivity ratio of 3.59 percent.
Islamabad is set to allow private companies to import coronavirus vaccines, with the federal cabinet signing off on exempting such imports from any price caps, thereby allowing the companies to set their own prices. In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Special Assistant to the P.M. on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan said that the private sector would be allowed to drive the pricing as there is no available “reference price.” Critics have warned that this would likely prompt price gouging.
Despite passing through two waves of COVID-19, Pakistan has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 59,731, with daily testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts. According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan’s testing policies only record the most symptomatic patients—a belief substantiated by a Punjab government official as the “most efficient use of resources”—while ignoring the spread among asymptomatic carriers, which studies suggest comprise the majority of infections nationwide.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 560,363 (Tests: 8,360,823)
Punjab – 162,875
Sindh – 252,719
Balochistan – 18,916
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 69,164
Islamabad – 42,401
Gilgit-Baltistan – 4,929
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 9,359
Deaths – 12,218
Recoveries – 518,164
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Friday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 560,363. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 33 to 12,218. At the same time, recoveries increased by 1,481 to 518,164, or 92.5 percent of total infections. There are currently 29,981 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 1,743 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Friday, authorities reported 12 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 4,994. The province now has 162,875 confirmed cases; it reported 484 new infections after conducting 11,273 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.29 percent. There were 651 new recoveries recorded, leaving 150,638 fully recovered, and 7,243 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 252,719; it reported 423 new infections on Friday after conducting 10,846 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.9 percent. The province reported 12 new deaths, raising toll to 4,183, while its recoveries rose by 430 to 229,645. Overall, the province now has 18,891 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 192 new infections after conducting 6,280 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.06 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 69,164. It recorded 4 new deaths, raising toll to 1,980, while its recoveries have risen by 280 to 65,213. There are currently 1,971 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Friday raised its confirmed cases to 18,916 with 18 new infections after conducting 595 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.02 percent. There were no deaths and 10 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 197 fatalities and 18,629 fully recovered. There are now 90 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Friday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 122 to 42,401 after conducting 5,397 tests; a positivity ratio of 2.26 percent. There were 2 deaths and 83 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 483 casualties; 40,599 recovered; and 1,319 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported 6 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday after conducting 375 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.6 percent; it now has 4,929 confirmed cases. The region reported no deaths and 4 recoveries, leaving 102 fatalities and 4,803 fully recovered people. There are currently 24 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 25 to 9,359 after conducting 514 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.86 percent. There were 3 deaths and 23 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 279 fatalities and 8,637 fully recovered. It now has 443 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 108,298,371 people, with over 2,378,863 reported deaths. After a devastating first wave, the world is now reeling from a second wave of the coronavirus, with many countries imposing fresh lockdowns or targeted closures in a bid to curb its spread ahead of mass distribution of vaccines. Overall, around 80,343,395 patients of the 108.3 million+ infected have recovered thus far.