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Confirmed infections reach 623,135, against 579,760 recoveries and 13,799 deaths, leaving 29,576 active cases
Pakistan on Saturday reported 3,876 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 40,946 tests—a positivity ratio of 9.47 percent.
The government is expected to fix pricing for Russian and Chinese coronavirus vaccines procured by the private sector “in a day or two” after reviewing the rates recommended by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). According to local media, around 50,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik-V have arrived in Karachi, but cannot be distributed until the government grants final approval on the prices they would be sold to citizens for.
Despite passing through two waves of COVID-19, Pakistan has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 61,177, 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 – 623,135 (Tests: 9,732,033)
Punjab – 195,087
Sindh – 262,796
Balochistan – 19,306
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 78,653
Islamabad – 50,843
Gilgit-Baltistan – 4,967
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 11,483
Deaths – 13,799
Recoveries – 579,760
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Saturday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 623,135. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 42 to 13,799. At the same time, recoveries increased by 1,446 to 579,760, or 93 percent of total infections. There are currently 29,576 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 2,122 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Saturday, authorities reported 25 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 5,944. The province now has 195,087 confirmed cases; it reported 2,033 new infections after conducting 15,212 tests, a positivity ratio of 13.36 percent. There were 699 new recoveries recorded, leaving 175,265 fully recovered, and 13,878 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 262,796; it reported 293 new infections on Saturday after conducting 10,445 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.8 percent. The province reported 5 new deaths, raising toll to 4,478, while its recoveries rose by 146 to 253,456. Overall, the province now has 4,862 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 681 new infections after conducting 7,753 tests, a positivity ratio of 8.78 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 78,653. It recorded 6 new deaths, raising toll to 2,202, while its recoveries have risen by 343 to 71,861. There are currently 4,590 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Saturday raised its confirmed cases to 19,306 with 16 new infections after conducting 362 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.42 percent. There was 1 death and 9 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 203 fatalities and 18,919 fully recovered. There are now 184 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Saturday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 747 to 50,843 after conducting 5,958 tests; a positivity ratio of 12.54 percent. There were 3 deaths and 185 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 539 casualties; 45,161 recovered; and 5,143 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported no new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday after conducting 330 tests; it now has 4,967 confirmed cases. The region reported no deaths or recoveries, leaving 103 fatalities and 4,856 fully recovered people. There are currently 8 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 106 to 11,483 after conducting 886 tests, a positivity ratio of 11.96 percent. There were 2 deaths and 64 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 330 fatalities and 10,242 fully recovered. It now has 911 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 122,898,689 people, with over 2,713,580 reported deaths. After a devastating first wave, the world is now slowly recovering from a second wave of the coronavirus, aided in part by the launch of vaccination campaigns. Overall, around 99,047,812 patients of the 122.9 million+ infected have recovered thus far.