Courtesy PID
Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 1,272,345, against 1,220,941 recoveries and 28,439 deaths, leaving 22,965 active cases
Pakistan on Saturday reported 658 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 45,690 tests—a positivity ratio of 1.44 percent.
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid on Friday reiterated calls for all eligible citizens to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as soon as possible to avoid a potential fifth wave of the pandemic. In a statement, she especially singled out students, urging them to get inoculated so authorities would not be forced to shutter schools to curb the spread of the virus, as was done earlier. According to the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 19 percent of Pakistan’s total population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 thus far—24 million men and 16 million women.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 1,272,345 (Tests: 20,750,978)
Punjab – 440,003
Sindh – 469,475
Balochistan – 33,244
Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa – 177,889
Islamabad – 106,874
Gilgit-Baltistan – 10,390
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 34,470
Deaths – 28,439
Recoveries – 1,220,941
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Saturday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 1,272,345. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 10 to 28,439. At the same time, recoveries increased by 836 to 1,220,941, or 96 percent of total infections. There are currently 22,965 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 1,364 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Saturday, authorities reported 6 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 12,915. The province now has 440,003 confirmed cases; it reported 158 new infections after administering 16,013 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.99 percent. There were 248 new recoveries recorded, leaving 419,255 fully recovered, and 7,833 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 469,475; it reported 353 new infections on Saturday after conducting 15,233 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.3 percent. The province reported no deaths, maintaining toll at 7,563, and 307 new recoveries, achieving 449,308 total recovered. Overall, the province now has 12,604 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The provincial government on Saturday reported 82 new cases after administering 9,634 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.85 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 177,889. It recorded 2 new deaths and 232 recoveries, raising toll to 5,740 and recoveries to 170,185. There are currently 1,964 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Saturday raised its confirmed cases to 33,244 with 16 new infections after administering 535 tests; a positivity ratio of 2.99 percent. There were no deaths and 7 recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 356 fatalities and 32,782 fully recovered. There are now 106 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Saturday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 39 to 106,874 after conducting 3,698 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.05 percent. There were no deaths and 32 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 939 casualties; 105,610 recovered; and 325 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan reported 1 new case of coronavirus on Saturday after conducting 346 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.29 percent; it currently has 10,390 confirmed cases. There were no deaths or recoveries reported in the past 24 hours, leaving 186 fatalities; 10,151 fully recovered people; and 53 active cases of COVID-19.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 9 to 34,470 after conducting 231 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.9 percent. There were no deaths and 10 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 740 fatalities and 33,650 fully recovered. It now has 80 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 246,757,475 people, with over 5,004,451 reported deaths. After having passed through multiple waves of the pandemic, the world is divided between countries that are either in the midst of new waves driven by mutated variants, or have launched mass vaccination drives that are allowing them to reopen safely. There are mounting calls, including from the World Health Organization, 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 to help curb the spread of new mutated variants. Overall, around 223,542,443 patients of the 246.7 million+ infected have recovered thus far.