Courtesy PID
Confirmed infections hit 475,085 against 425,494 recoveries and 9,992 deaths, leaving 39,599 active cases
Pakistan on Tuesday reported 1,776 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 30,666 tests—a positivity ratio of 5.79 percent.
Originally slated to end on Dec. 29, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority on Monday announced it was extending till Jan. 4 the travel restrictions it had imposed on inbound travelers from the U.K. Implemented in light of the U.K. reporting a highly infectious strain of the novel coronavirus, the restrictions require a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to travel, and mandate any travelers to quarantine for 7 days upon arrival.
Despite a severe second wave of COVID-19, Pakistan has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 54,319, 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 – 475,085 (Tests: 6,619,983)
Punjab – 136,669
Sindh – 212,093
Balochistan – 18,099
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 57,746
Islamabad – 37,390
Gilgit-Baltistan – 4,853
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 8,235
Deaths – 9,992
Recoveries – 425,494
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Tuesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 475,085. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 63 to 9,992. At the same time, recoveries increased by 1,602 to 425,494, or 89.6 percent of total infections. There are currently 39,599 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 2,259 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Tuesday, authorities reported 38 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 3,959. The province now has 136,669 confirmed cases; it reported 522 new infections after conducting 12,574 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.15 percent. There were 372 new recoveries recorded, leaving 122,652 fully recovered, and 10,058 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 212,093; it reported 817 new infections on Tuesday after conducting 9,320 tests, a positivity ratio of 8.76 percent. The province reported 11 new deaths, raising toll to 3,502, while its recoveries rose by 584 to 188,351. Overall, the province now has 20,240 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government has recorded 279 new infections after conducting 4,219 tests, a positivity ratio of 6.61 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 57,746. It recorded 8 new deaths, raising toll to 1,617, while its recoveries have risen by 128 to 52,056. There are currently 4,073 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Tuesday raised its confirmed cases to 18,099 with 17 new infections after conducting 219 tests, a positivity ratio of 7.76 percent. There were no deaths and 37 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 182 fatalities and 17,656 fully recovered. There are now 261 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Tuesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 118 to 37,390 after conducting 3,840 tests; a positivity ratio of 3.07 percent. There were 5 deaths and 410 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 412 casualties; 32,553 recovered; and 4,425 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported 3 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday after conducting 245 tests, leaving 4,853 confirmed cases. The region reported no deaths and 10 recoveries, leaving 101 fatalities and 4,696 fully recovered people. There are currently 56 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 20 to 8,235 after conducting 249 tests, a positivity ratio of 8.03 percent. There were 61 recoveries and 1 death in the past 24 hours, leaving 219 fatalities and 7,530 fully recovered. It now has 486 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 81,673,086 people, with over 1,781,539 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 57,799,127 patients of the 81.6 million+ infected have recovered thus far.