Courtesy PID
Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 1,338,993, against 1,265,239 recoveries and 29,037 deaths, leaving 44,717 active cases
Pakistan on Wednesday reported 5,472 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 57,669 tests—a positivity ratio of 9.49 percent.
The Pakistan Medical Association on Tuesday warned that the next two to three weeks could be critical and urged the government to act quickly to avert potential disaster by implementing new movement restrictions to curb the spread of the Omicron variant. Noting that Karachi’s positivity had neared 40 percent amongst reported cases, it said this needed to be curtailed as the actual numbers were likely far higher. It also voiced concern that amidst the rapid spread, the Omicron variant could mutate further and suggested making vaccination a requirement for participation in all leisure activities.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 1,338,993 (Tests: 24,297,430)
Punjab – 455,499
Sindh – 509,308
Balochistan – 33,744
Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa – 182,619
Islamabad – 112,557
Gilgit-Baltistan – 10,455
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 34,811
Deaths – 29,037
Recoveries – 1,265,239
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Wednesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 1,338,993. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 8 to 29,037. At the same time, recoveries increased by 628 to 1,265,239, or 94.5 percent of total infections. There are currently 44,717 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 908 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Wednesday, authorities reported no deaths due to the coronavirus, retaining total casualties at 13,091. The province now has 455,499 confirmed cases; it reported 1,127 new infections after administering 21,247 tests, a positivity ratio of 5.3 percent. There were 291 new recoveries recorded, leaving 431,335 fully recovered, and 11,073 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 509,308; it reported 3,378 new infections on Wednesday after conducting 18,464 tests, a positivity ratio of 18.3 percent. The province reported 6 deaths and 212 recoveries, leaving 7,709 deaths and 472,739 total recovered. Overall, the province now has 28,860 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Wednesday reported 200 new cases after administering 9,334 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.14 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 182,619. It recorded 2 new deaths and 40 recoveries, raising toll to 5,965 and recoveries to 175,497. There are currently 1,157 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Wednesday raised its total confirmed cases to 33,744, reporting 15 new infections after conducting 1,050 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.4 percent. There were no deaths and 2 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 367 fatalities and 33,286 fully recovered. There are now 91 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases to 112,557, reporting 702 new cases after conducting 5,948 tests, a positivity ratio of 11.8 percent. There were no deaths and 78 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 969 casualties; 108,184 recovered; and 3,404 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported 9 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday after conducting 456 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.97 percent; it currently has 10,455 confirmed cases. There were no deaths or recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 187 fatalities; 10,243 fully recovered people; and 25 active cases of COVID-19.
Pakistan-administered Kashmir has reported 41 new cases of COVID-19 after administering 1,170 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.5 percent, raising confirmed cases to 34,811. There were no deaths and 5 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 749 fatalities and 33,955 fully recovered. It now has 107 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 335,366,984 people, with over 5,573,545 reported deaths. The globe is in the midst of yet another COVID-19 surge, as the highly infectious Omicron variant that was originally identified in South Africa sweeps across nations. While the new variant has been deemed less deadly than earlier iterations of the coronavirus, health experts have stressed that even a “mild” case can prove debilitating and urged people to exercise caution, wear masks, and avoid large gatherings. The World Health Organization continues to call 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, stressing that deploying vaccine boosters for the already vaccinated does not help counter the mutation of new variants in populations that have yet to be inoculated. Overall, around 271,056,320 patients of the 335.37 million+ infected have recovered thus far.