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Confirmed infections rise to 306,304 against 292,869 recoveries and 6,420 deaths, leaving 7,015 active cases
Pakistan on Monday recorded 633 infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 33,393 tests—a positivity ratio of 1.89 percent.
The government of Punjab has launched a probe into “data fudging” in Lahore by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, allegedly to hide the true spread of COVID-19 from Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. According to a report published in daily Dawn, authorities have been reporting fewer infections than were being found, potentially endangering the country’s entire coronavirus response.
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 77,320 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, which recent studies have suggested comprise the majority of infections in the country. 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 – 306,304 (Tests: 3,194,317)
Punjab – 98,428
Sindh – 133,947
Balochistan – 14,394
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 37,357
Islamabad – 16,162
Gilgit-Baltistan – 3,483
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 2,533
Deaths – 6,420
Recoveries – 292,869
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Monday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 306,304. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 4 to 6,420. At the same time, recoveries increased by 566 to 292,869, or 95.6 percent of total infections. There are currently 7,015 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC reporting 556 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Monday, authorities reported no new deaths due to COVID-19, sustaining fatalities to 2,226. The province conducted 10,589 tests, raising confirmed cases to 98,428 with 60 new infections. Meanwhile, its recoveries have increased by 179 to 94,952. There are now 1,250 active cases of the virus in the province.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh on Monday rose by 321 to 133,947 against 13,198 tests. The province reported 1 death, raising toll to 2,460, while its recoveries rose by 168 to 128,407. Overall, the province now has 3,080 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Monday reported no new deaths, sustaining toll at 1,258. In the past 24 hours, its recoveries rose by 61 to 35,561 while its confirmed cases have increased by 40 to 37,357. The province conducted 3,138 tests on Sunday and currently has 538 active cases of coronavirus.
Balochistan
The province conducted 1,195 tests on Sunday, raising confirmed cases to 14,394 with 125 new infections. There were no new deaths and 102 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining fatalities at 145 and raising recoveries to 13,071. There are now 1,178 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Monday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 38 to 16,162 after conducting 4,243 tests. There were no new deaths and 28 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining casualties at 180 and raising recoveries to 15,557, leaving 425 active cases.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday increased by 33 to 3,483 after conducting 397 tests. The region reported 1 new death, raising toll to 82, while its recoveries increased by 20 to 3,056, leaving 345 active cases.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases have increased by 16 to 2,533 after conducting 633 tests. There were 2 deaths and 8 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 69 fatalities and 2,265 fully recovered. It now has 199 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 31,240,113 people, with over 965,066 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 have since eased restrictions to help shuttered economies rebound. Overall, around 22,835,459 patients of the 31.2 million+ infected have recovered thus far, with health experts warning of an impending second wave as winter approaches.