File photo. Courtesy PID
Pakistan on Wednesday recorded 482 infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 24,593 tests—a positivity ratio of 1.95 percent.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan on Tuesday told journalists that if needed, Islamabad would seek a coronavirus vaccine from Moscow. “I am not in the position to comment on the purchase [of vaccine] because we are still assessing various vaccines. But we know that if we need it, the Russian side will help us,” he added.
Pakistan’s welcome decline in daily infections and deaths, meanwhile, has encountered some trepidation from observers who warn that the country has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 67,340—reduced from a peak of 71,780—and is currently testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts. According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan’s testing policies likely only record the most symptomatic patients while ignoring the spread among asymptomatic carriers. Medical experts have also warned that the government’s decision to end nearly all movement restrictions at once risks a second wave of the virus.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 294,193 (Tests: 2,512,337)
Punjab – 96,466 (Tests: 899,768)
Sindh – 128,676 (Tests: 970,667)
Balochistan – 12,664 (Tests: 72,654)
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 35,831 (Tests: 254,932)
Islamabad – 15,546 (Tests: 247,931)
Gilgit-Baltistan – 2,745 (Tests: 22,243)
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 2,265 (Tests: 32,056)
Deaths – 6,267
Recoveries – 278,939
In the 24 hours preceding 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 294,193, while deaths increased by 12 to 6,267. At the same time, recoveries increased by 514 to 278,939, or 94.8 percent of total infections. There are currently 8,987 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC reporting 669 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Wednesday, authorities reported 1 new death due to COVID-19, raising fatalities to 2,193. The province reported 75 new infections, raising confirmed cases to 96,466, while its recoveries have increased by 12 to 92,301. There are now 1,972 active cases of the virus in the province.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh on Wednesday rose by 220 to 128,676. Additionally, the province’s death toll climbed by 11 to 2,384, while its recoveries rose by 280 to 122,461. Overall, the province now has 3,831 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Tuesday issued its SOPs for reopening of educational institutions, making face masks compulsory for all students and directing administrations to procure disinfection materials, soaps and other sanitary supplies to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The provincial government on Wednesday reported no new deaths, sustaining death toll at 1,248. In the past 24 hours, its recoveries rose by 23 to 33,449, while its confirmed cases have increased by 35 to 35,831. There are currently 1,134 active cases of coronavirus in the province.
Balochistan
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the province on Wednesday rose by 104 to 12,664. No new deaths were recorded, sustaining fatalities at 141, while 50 patients have now fully recovering, raising to 11,510 the number of people who have beaten the virus. There are now 1,013 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 15 to 15,546. There were no new deaths and 108 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining death toll at 175 and raising recoveries to 14,792, leaving 579 active cases.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Gilgit-Baltistan rose by 25 on Wednesday to 2,745. The region reported no new deaths, sustaining toll at 65, while its recoveries have increased by 37 to 2,351, leaving 329 active cases.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases have increased by 8 to 2,265. There were no new deaths and 4 new recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 61 fatalities and 2,075 fully recovered. It now has 129 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 24,062,636 people, with over 823,540 reported deaths. Governments across the word halted flights, locked down towns and cities and urged people to stay at home at the peak of the virus’s spread, but there are now signs of easements to help shuttered economies recover. Overall, around 16,611,611 patients of the 24 million+ infected have recovered thus far.