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Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 967,633, against 910,609 recoveries and 22,493 deaths, leaving 34,531 active cases
Pakistan on Thursday reported 1,683 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 50,531 tests—a positivity ratio of 3.33 percent.
The National Command and Operation Center on Wednesday expressed concern over the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the country, and directed all federating units to ensure strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedures over Eidul Azha to curb the spread of the pandemic. Following a meeting of the forum in Islamabad, Planning Minister Asad Umar—who heads the body overseeing the national coronavirus response—directed all provincial authorities to expedite their vaccination campaigns. He also said that the government was making arrangements to bring back Pakistanis stranded in Afghanistan.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 967,633 (Tests: 14,911,743)
Punjab – 347,347
Sindh – 343,303
Balochistan – 27,502
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 138,855
Islamabad – 83,259
Gilgit-Baltistan – 6,639
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 20,728
Deaths – 22,493
Recoveries – 910,609
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Thursday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 967,633. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 24 to 22,493. At the same time, recoveries increased by 1,084 to 910,609, or 94.1 percent of total infections. There are currently 34,531 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 1,980 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Thursday, authorities reported 7 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 10,798. The province now has 347,347 confirmed cases; it reported 167 new infections after conducting 17,180 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.97 percent. There were 167 new recoveries recorded, leaving 328,401 fully recovered, and 8,148 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 343,303; it reported 1,075 new infections on Thursday after administering 17,959 tests, a positivity ratio of 5.9 percent. The province reported 16 deaths, raising toll to 5,552, while its recoveries rose by 505 to 315,883. Overall, the province now has 21,868 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 128 new infections after conducting 10,011 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.28 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 138,855. It recorded no new deaths and 164 recoveries, raising toll to 4,346 and recoveries to 133,004. There are currently 1,505 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Thursday sustained its confirmed cases at 27,502 with no new infections after conducting 714 tests. There were no deaths or recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 315 fatalities and 26,568 fully recovered. There are now 619 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Thursday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 104 to 83,259 after conducting 2,859 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.64 percent. There were no deaths and 18 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 781 casualties; 81,170 recovered; and 1,308 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday recorded 65 new cases of COVID-19 after conducting 522 tests, a positivity ratio of 12.45 percent; it now has 6,639 confirmed cases. The region reported no new deaths and 189 recoveries, leaving 111 fatalities and 6,040 fully recovered people. There are currently 488 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 87 to 20,728 after administering 1,286 tests, a positivity ratio of 6.76 percent. There was 1 death and 41 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 590 fatalities and 19,543 fully recovered. It now has 595 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 185,853,841 people, with over 4,017,816 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, especially the Delta variant that is now driving the bulk of confirmed infections globally. Overall, around 170,100,608 patients of the 185.8 million+ infected have recovered thus far.