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Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 961,085, against 906,387 recoveries and 22,379 deaths, leaving 32,319 active cases
Pakistan on Saturday reported 1,400 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 48,027 tests—a positivity ratio of 2.9 percent.
Data provided by the Ministry of Health Services has revealed that despite Pakistan having administered at least one dose of coronavirus vaccines to approximately 10 percent of its eligible population, the pace of its overall vaccination drive remains worryingly slow. The divide is starkest between largely urban and rural areas, with federal capital Islamabad boasting 35 percent vaccination of eligible citizens against just 3 percent for all of Balochistan. Medical experts have warned the government that a fourth wave of the pandemic is likely for Pakistan, as the government’s easing of mobility restrictions coupled with the slow pace of vaccination, is likely to boost the spread of the virus in the coming weeks.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 961,085 (Tests: 14,685,198)
Punjab – 346,582
Sindh – 339,268
Balochistan – 27,295
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 138,306
Islamabad – 82,845
Gilgit-Baltistan – 6,331
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 20,458
Deaths – 22,379
Recoveries – 906,387
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Saturday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 961,085. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 34 to 22,379. At the same time, recoveries increased by 957 to 906,387, or 94.3 percent of total infections. There are currently 32,319 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 1,871 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Saturday, authorities reported 6 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 10,767. The province now has 346,582 confirmed cases; it reported 128 new infections after conducting 16,973 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.75 percent. There were 264 new recoveries recorded, leaving 327,686 fully recovered, and 8,129 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 339,268; it reported 881 new infections on Saturday after administering 16,985 tests, a positivity ratio of 5.2 percent. The province reported 19 deaths, raising toll to 5,497, while its recoveries rose by 492 to 313,868. Overall, the province now has 19,903 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 127 new infections after conducting 9,399 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.35 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 138,306. It recorded 5 new deaths and 60 recoveries, raising toll to 4,329 and recoveries to 132,393. There are currently 1,584 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Saturday raised its confirmed cases to 27,295 with 53 new infections after conducting 1,121 tests for a positivity ratio of 4.7 percent. There was 1 death and 56 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 310 fatalities and 26,297 fully recovered. There are now 688 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Saturday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 66 to 82,845 after conducting 2,225 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.96 percent. There were no deaths and 36 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 779 casualties; 81,014 recovered; and 1,052 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday recorded 92 new cases of COVID-19 after conducting 634 tests, a positivity ratio of 14.5 percent; it now has 6,331 confirmed cases. The region reported no new deaths and 15 recoveries, leaving 111 fatalities and 5,763 fully recovered people. There are currently 457 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 53 to 20,458 after administering 690 tests, a positivity ratio of 7.7 percent. There were 3 deaths and 34 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 586 fatalities and 19,366 fully recovered. It now has 506 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 183,863,690 people, with over 3,980,248 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 168,290,875 patients of the 183.9 million+ infected have recovered thus far.