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Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 1,292,728, against 1,254,301 recoveries and 28,898 deaths, leaving 9,529 active cases
Pakistan on Friday reported 322 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 47,811 tests—a positivity ratio of 0.67 percent.
Six more suspected cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in Sindh capital Karachi, according to a report published in daily The News. Citing sources within the provincial Health Department, it said samples of the suspected cases had been sent for genomic sequencing and the patients had been shifted to quarantine facilities. This is the second time this week that suspected cases of Omicron have been detected in Pakistan; earlier this week, the Balochistan health department reported that it had detected 32 suspected cases of the variant of concern in Kalat district.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 1,292,728 (Tests: 23,048,609)
Punjab – 444,438
Sindh – 480,077
Balochistan – 33,617
Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa – 181,121
Islamabad – 108,392
Gilgit-Baltistan – 10,429
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 34,654
Deaths – 28,898
Recoveries – 1,254,301
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Friday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 1,292,728. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 4 to 28,898. At the same time, recoveries increased by 197 to 1,254,301, or 97 percent of total infections. There are currently 9,529 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 652 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Friday, authorities reported 1 death due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 13,062. The province now has 444,438 confirmed cases; it reported 58 new infections after administering 17,018 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.34 percent. There were 23 new recoveries recorded, leaving 428,748 fully recovered, and 2,628 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 480,077; it reported 187 new infections on Friday after conducting 14,307 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.31 percent. The province reported no deaths and 62 recoveries, maintaining toll at 7,658 and raising total recovered to 466,530. Overall, the province now has 5,889 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Friday reported 33 new cases after administering 10,553 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.31 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 181,121. It recorded 3 new deaths and 70 recoveries, raising toll to 5,919 and recoveries to 174,613. There are currently 589 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Friday raised its total confirmed cases to 33,617, reporting 3 new infections after conducting 328 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.91 percent. There were no deaths and 5 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 363 fatalities and 33,165 fully recovered. There are now 89 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Friday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 38 to 108,392 after conducting 4,669 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.81 percent. There were no deaths and 24 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 964 casualties; 107,148 recovered; and 280 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported no new cases of coronavirus on Friday after conducting 309 tests; it currently has 10,429 confirmed cases. There were no deaths and 9 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 186 fatalities; 10,238 fully recovered people; and 5 active cases of COVID-19.
Pakistan-administered Kashmir reported 3 new cases of COVID-19 after administering 627 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.48 percent. There were no deaths and 4 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 746 fatalities and 33,859 fully recovered. It now has 49 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 278,525,387 people, with over 5,400,888 reported deaths. After having passed through multiple waves of the pandemic, the world is divided between countries that are struggling to counter mutated variants, or have introduced vaccination boosters to maintain normalcy. There are mounting calls, especially 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 prevent the mutation of new variants. Overall, around 249,203,172 patients of the 278.5 million+ infected have recovered thus far.