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Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 1,283,223, against 1,240,995 recoveries and 28,690 deaths, leaving 13,538 active cases
Pakistan on Thursday reported 363 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 41,240 tests—a positivity ratio of 0.88 percent.
Scientists have warned of a new COVID-19 variant with an “extremely high” number of mutations that could evade the defenses granted by vaccines. Thus far, this variant—B.1.1.529—has only been found in 10 cases across three countries; it was first spotted in Botswana and has since also been found in South Africa and in a traveler returning to Hong Kong from South Africa. While the variant poses a great risk to health, virologists say that it is too early to say if it is more transmissible than the virus’ earlier variants.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 1,283,223 (Tests: 21,796,915)
Punjab – 442,714
Sindh – 474,772
Balochistan – 33,458
Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa – 179,774
Islamabad – 107,554
Gilgit-Baltistan – 10,411
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 34,540
Deaths – 28,690
Recoveries – 1,240,995
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Thursday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 1,283,223. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 13 to 28,690. At the same time, recoveries increased by 1,000 to 1,240,995, or 96.7 percent of total infections. There are currently 13,538 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 1,002 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Thursday, authorities reported 2 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 13,007. The province now has 442,714 confirmed cases; it reported 76 new infections after administering 14,290 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.53 percent. There were 658 new recoveries recorded, leaving 424,604 fully recovered, and 5,103 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 474,772; it reported 199 new infections on Thursday after conducting 12,966 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.5 percent. The province reported 6 deaths, raising toll to 7,619, and 158 new recoveries, achieving 460,120 total recovered. Overall, the province now has 7,033 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Thursday reported 54 new cases after administering 8,747 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.62 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 179,774. It recorded 4 new deaths and 145 recoveries, raising toll to 5,825 and achieving recoveries of 172,947. There are currently 1,002 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Thursday raised its total confirmed cases to 33,458, reporting 2 new infections after conducting 345 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.58 percent. There was 1 death and 6 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 359 fatalities and 33,031 fully recovered. There are now 68 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Thursday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 29 to 107,554 after conducting 4,454 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.65 percent. There were no deaths and 29 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 952 casualties; 106,319 recovered; and 283 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported 1 new case of coronavirus on Thursday after conducting 307 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.32 percent; it currently has 10,411 confirmed cases. There were no deaths or recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 186 fatalities; 10,211 fully recovered people; and 14 active cases of COVID-19.
Pakistan-administered Kashmir reported 2 new cases of COVID-19 after administering 131 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.53 percent. There were no deaths and 4 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 742 fatalities and 33,763 fully recovered. It now has 35 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 259,731,904 people, with over 5,192,249 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 234,880,900 patients of the 259.7 million+ infected have recovered thus far.