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Confirmed infections reach 725,602, against 634,835 recoveries and 15,501 deaths, leaving 75,266 active cases
Pakistan on Monday recorded 4,584 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 44,514 tests—a positivity ratio of 10.3 percent.
Punjab, which has emerged as the epicenter of the third wave of the pandemic, is considering implementing harsher measures in cities with high positivity ratios, including a complete lockdown, to curb the spread of the coronavirus as healthcare facilities near capacity. Two weeks ago, the provincial government had implemented a “smart” lockdown policy that it had claimed would help reduce the viral spread, but which has since failed to produce the desired results.
Despite passing through two waves of COVID-19, Pakistan has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 64,771, 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 – 725,602 (Tests: 10,779,474)
Punjab – 250,459
Sindh – 269,126
Balochistan – 20,321
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 99,595
Islamabad – 66,380
Gilgit-Baltistan – 5,127
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 14,594
Deaths – 15,501
Recoveries – 634,835
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Monday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 725,602. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 58 to 15,501. At the same time, recoveries increased by 3,135 to 634,835, or 87.5 percent of total infections. There are currently 75,266 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 4,201 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Monday, authorities reported 16 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 6,988. The province now has 250,459 confirmed cases; it reported 2,021 new infections after conducting 17,755 tests, a positivity ratio of 11.38 percent. There were 1,592 new recoveries recorded, leaving 203,960 fully recovered, and 39,511 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 269,126; it reported 376 new infections on Monday after conducting 9,404 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.99 percent. The province reported 1 new death, raising toll to 4,530, while its recoveries rose by 154 to 257,804. Overall, the province now has 6,792 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 1,294 new infections after conducting 8,715 tests, a positivity ratio of 14.85 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 99,595. It recorded 33 new deaths and 746 recoveries, raising toll to 2,651 and recoveries to 83,852. There are currently 13,092 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Monday raised its confirmed cases to 20,321 with 80 new infections after conducting 1,019 tests, a positivity ratio of 7.85 percent. There were no deaths and 45 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 215 fatalities and 19,375 fully recovered. There are now 731 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Monday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 680 to 66,380 after conducting 5,982 tests; a positivity ratio of 11.37 percent. There were 4 deaths in the past 24 hours, leaving 611 casualties; 52,904 recovered; and 12,865 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan now has 5,127 confirmed cases. The region reported no new deaths and 7 recoveries, leaving 103 fatalities and 4,917 fully recovered people. There are currently 105 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 133 to 14,594 after conducting 1,164 tests, a positivity ratio of 11.43 percent. There were 4 deaths recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 403 fatalities and 12,021 fully recovered. It now has 2,170 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 136,641,901 people, with over 2,949,409 reported deaths. After a devastating first wave, the world is now slowly recovering from a second wave of the coronavirus, aided largely by the launch of mass vaccination campaigns. Overall, around 109,881,553 patients of the 136.6 million+ infected have recovered thus far.