Courtesy PID
Confirmed infections hit 484,362 against 438,974 recoveries and 10,258 deaths, leaving 35,130 active cases
Pakistan on Saturday reported 2,184 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 38,229 tests—a positivity ratio of 5.71 percent.
The Sindh Health Department has found two more U.K. returnees infected with a more infectious strain of the novel coronavirus, with daily Dawn reporting that both patients are men in their 20s who recently returned to Karachi. Overall, five U.K. returnees have thus far tested positive for the new strain in Pakistan.
Despite a severe second wave of COVID-19, Pakistan has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 56,219, 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 – 484,362 (Tests: 6,775,307)
Punjab – 139,341
Sindh – 216,632
Balochistan – 18,181
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 59,023
Islamabad – 38,020
Gilgit-Baltistan – 4,862
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 8,303
Deaths – 10,258
Recoveries – 438,974
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Saturday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 484,362. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 82 to 10,258. At the same time, recoveries increased by 1,745 to 438,974, or 90.6 percent of total infections. There are currently 35,130 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 2,264 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Saturday, authorities reported 43 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 4,085. The province now has 139,341 confirmed cases; it reported 733 new infections after conducting 15,582 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.7 percent. There were 527 new recoveries recorded, leaving 124,125 fully recovered, and 11,131 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 216,632; it reported 953 new infections on Saturday after conducting 11,771 tests, a positivity ratio of 8.09 percent. The province reported 22 new deaths, raising toll to 3,582, while its recoveries rose by 714 to 196,134. Overall, the province now has 16,916 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government has recorded 322 new infections after conducting 5,985 tests, a positivity ratio of 5.38 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 59,023. It recorded 12 new deaths, raising toll to 1,661, while its recoveries have risen by 234 to 53,942. There are currently 3,420 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Saturday raised its confirmed cases to 18,181 with 13 new infections after conducting 340 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.82 percent. There was 1 death and 20 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 184 fatalities and 17,752 fully recovered. There are now 245 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Saturday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 132 to 38,020 after conducting 3,891 tests; a positivity ratio of 3.39 percent. There were 2 deaths and 207 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 421 casualties; 34,617 recovered; and 2,982 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported 5 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday after conducting 355 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.41 percent. It now has 4,862 confirmed cases. The region reported no deaths and 8 recoveries, leaving 101 fatalities and 4,713 fully recovered people. There are currently 48 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 26 to 8,303 after conducting 305 tests, a positivity ratio of 8.52 percent. There were 35 recoveries and 2 deaths in the past 24 hours, leaving 224 fatalities and 7,691 fully recovered. It now has 388 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 84,382,536 people, with over 1,835,389 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 59,641,404 patients of the 84.4 million+ infected have recovered thus far.