Courtesy PID
Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 978,847, against 915,343 recoveries and 22,642 deaths, leaving 40,862 active cases
Pakistan on Wednesday reported 1,980 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 47,472 tests—a positivity ratio of 4.17 percent.
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Tuesday decided to mobilize the Pakistan Army—once again—to implement the government’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) amidst mounting concerns of a fourth wave of the pandemic. Following a review meeting, it said international flight operations had been increased from the existing 20 percent to 50 percent, and backed imposing smart lockdowns in areas with high positivity of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Health Secretary Dr. Nausheen Hamid told Geo News that around 50 percent of all new COVID-19 cases being reported across Pakistan were of the Delta variant.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 978,847 (Tests: 15,199,875)
Punjab – 348,725
Sindh – 349,586
Balochistan – 28,434
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 139,710
Islamabad – 83,956
Gilgit-Baltistan – 7,044
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 21,392
Deaths – 22,642
Recoveries – 915,343
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Wednesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 978,847. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 24 to 22,642. At the same time, recoveries increased by 738 to 915,343, or 93.5 percent of total infections. There are currently 40,862 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 2,258 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Wednesday, authorities reported 7 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 10,839. The province now has 348,725 confirmed cases; it reported 216 new infections after conducting 17,172 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.26 percent. There were 43 new recoveries recorded, leaving 329,012 fully recovered, and 8,874 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 349,586; it reported 1,201 new infections on Wednesday after administering 16,262 tests, a positivity ratio of 7.4 percent. The province reported 8 deaths, raising toll to 5,621, while its recoveries rose by 535 to 318,376. Overall, the province now has 25,589 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 117 new infections after conducting 9,168 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.28 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 139,710. It recorded 6 new deaths and 150 recoveries, raising toll to 4,371 and recoveries to 133,522. There are currently 1,817 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Wednesday raised its confirmed cases to 28,434 with 113 new infections after conducting 1,352 tests, posting a positivity ratio of 8.3 percent. There were no deaths or recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 317 fatalities and 26,948 fully recovered. There are now 1,169 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 125 to 83,956 after conducting 1,921 tests, a positivity ratio of 6.51 percent. There was 1 death and 58 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 786 casualties; 81,451 recovered; and 1,719 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday recorded 72 new cases of COVID-19 after conducting 733 tests, a positivity ratio of 9.8 percent; it now has 7,044 confirmed cases. The region reported 2 deaths and 40 recoveries, leaving 113 fatalities and 6,255 fully recovered people. There are currently 676 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 136 to 21,392 after administering 864 tests, a positivity ratio of 15.7 percent. There were no deaths and 42 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 595 fatalities and 19,779 fully recovered. It now has 1,018 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 188,616,093 people, with over 4,065,804 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 172,435,944 patients of the 188.6 million+ infected have recovered thus far.