Courtesy PID
Confirmed cases rise to 543,214, against 498,152 recoveries and 11,623 deaths, leaving 33,439 active cases
Pakistan on Saturday recorded 2,183 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 41,435 tests—a positivity ratio of 5.27 percent.
The Civil Aviation Authority on Friday extended restrictions for travelers from category-C countries—South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands—till Feb. 28, requiring them to secure PCR tests no earlier than 72 hours prior to commencement of travel. Travelers from countries designated ‘A’ would not require any COVID testing prior to their entry into Pakistan.
Despite a severe second wave of COVID-19, Pakistan has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 57,531, 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 – 543,214 (Tests: 7,889,741)
Punjab – 156,928
Sindh – 245,663
Balochistan – 18,809
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 66,679
Islamabad – 41,255
Gilgit-Baltistan – 4,908
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 8,972
Deaths – 11,623
Recoveries – 498,152
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Saturday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 543,214. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 63 to 11,623. At the same time, recoveries increased by 1,407 to 498,152, or 91.7 percent of total infections. There are currently 33,439 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 2,111 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Saturday, authorities reported 35 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 4,716. The province now has 156,928 confirmed cases; it reported 524 new infections after conducting 14,592 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.59 percent. There were 206 new recoveries recorded, leaving 141,991 fully recovered, and 10,221 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 245,663; it reported 1,323 new infections on Saturday after conducting 12,642 tests, a positivity ratio of 10.46 percent. The province reported 17 new deaths, raising toll to 3,986, while its recoveries rose by 735 to 223,358. Overall, the province now has 18,319 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 228 new infections after conducting 6,629 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.44 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 66,679. It recorded 11 new deaths, raising toll to 1,890, while its recoveries have risen by 276 to 61,932. There are currently 2,857 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Saturday raised its confirmed cases to 18,809 with 11 new infections after conducting 574 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.92 percent. There was 1 death and 58 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 195 fatalities and 18,421 fully recovered. There are now 193 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Saturday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 79 to 41,255 after conducting 6,168 tests; a positivity ratio of 1.28 percent. There was 1 death and 113 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 475 casualties; 39,309 recovered; and 1,471 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported no new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday after conducting 323 tests; it has 4,908 confirmed cases. The region reported no deaths or recoveries, leaving 102 fatalities and 4,787 fully recovered people. There are currently 19 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 19 to 8,972 after conducting 507 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.75 percent. There were no deaths and 19 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 259 fatalities and 8,354 fully recovered. It now has 359 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 102,635,172 people, with over 2,216,418 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 74,329,275 patients of the 102.6 million+ infected have recovered thus far.