File photo
Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 1,287,703, against 1,247,066 recoveries and 28,793 deaths, leaving 11,844 active cases
Pakistan on Wednesday reported 310 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 43,503 tests—a positivity ratio of 0.71 percent.
Mandatory vaccinations against the coronavirus are an “absolute last resort,” World Health Organization Europe Director Hans Kluge said on Tuesday, amidst reports of several European states considering the measure to prevent the spread of new variants of COVID-19. “Mandates around vaccination are an absolute last resort and only applicable when all feasible options to improve vaccination uptake have been exhausted,” he said, adding that the effectiveness of such measures were “very context-specific.” He said public confidence and trust in authorities needed to be considered. “What is acceptable in one society and community may not be effective and acceptable in another,” he added.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 1,287,703 (Tests: 22,338,650)
Punjab – 443,610
Sindh – 477,119
Balochistan – 33,514
Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa – 180,471
Islamabad – 107,989
Gilgit-Baltistan – 10,414
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 34,586
Deaths – 28,793
Recoveries – 1,247,066
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Wednesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 1,287,703. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 9 to 28,793. At the same time, recoveries increased by 283 to 1,247,066, or 96.8 percent of total infections. There are currently 11,844 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 783 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Wednesday, authorities reported 2 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 13,044. The province now has 443,610 confirmed cases; it reported 50 new infections after administering 17,172 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.29 percent. There were 34 new recoveries recorded, leaving 426,402 fully recovered, and 4,164 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 477,119; it reported 161 new infections on Wednesday after conducting 11,227 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.4 percent. The province reported 3 deaths and 155 recoveries, raising toll to 7,630 and total recovered to 462,978. Overall, the province now has 6,511 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Wednesday reported 59 new cases after administering 8,612 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.68 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 180,471. It recorded 4 new deaths and 61 recoveries, raising toll to 5,868 and achieving recoveries of 173,891. There are currently 712 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Wednesday raised its total confirmed cases to 33,514, reporting 5 new infections after conducting 734 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.68 percent. There were no deaths and 5 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 362 fatalities and 33,108 fully recovered. There are now 44 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 29 to 107,989 after conducting 5,328 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.54 percent. There were no deaths and 24 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 961 casualties; 106,656 recovered; and 372 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported no new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday after conducting 265 tests; it currently has 10,414 confirmed cases. There were no deaths or recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 186 fatalities; 10,224 fully recovered people; and 4 active cases of COVID-19.
Pakistan-administered Kashmir reported 6 new cases of COVID-19 after administering 165 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.6 percent. There were no deaths and 4 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 742 fatalities and 33,807 fully recovered. It now has 37 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 267,400,826 people, with over 5,286,789 reported deaths. After having passed through multiple waves of the pandemic, the world is divided between countries that are either in the midst of new waves 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. Overall, around 240,840,373 patients of the 267.4 million+ infected have recovered thus far.