Courtesy PID
Confirmed infections rise to 311,516 against 296,340 recoveries and 6,474 deaths, leaving 8,702 active cases
Pakistan on Tuesday recorded 672 infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 32,665 tests—a positivity ratio of 2.06 percent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that low and middle-income countries would be provided affordable, high-quality COVID-19 antigen rapid tests that issue results in 15–30 minutes, rather than hours or days. The goal, said WHO, is to enable expansion of testing, particularly in countries that do not have extensive laboratory facilities or trained health workers to implement molecular (PCR) tests.
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 72,232 and is currently testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts. According to WHO, 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 – 311,516 (Tests: 3,482,206)
Punjab – 99,292
Sindh – 136,395
Balochistan – 15,177
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 37,727
Islamabad – 16,532
Gilgit-Baltistan – 3,730
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 2,663
Deaths – 6,474
Recoveries – 296,340
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Tuesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 311,516. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 8 to 6,474. At the same time, recoveries increased by 318 to 296,340, or 95.1 percent of total infections. There are currently 8,702 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC reporting 419 of them are in critical condition.
Punjab
On Tuesday, authorities reported 3 new deaths due to COVID-19, raising fatalities to 2,234. The province conducted 10,072 tests, raising confirmed cases to 99,292 with 73 new infections. Meanwhile, its recoveries have increased by 15 to 95,436. There are now 1,622 active cases of the virus in the province.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh on Tuesday rose by 378 to 136,395 against 12,097 tests. The province reported 3 deaths, raising toll to 2,495, while its recoveries rose by 139 to 129,892. Overall, the province now has 4,008 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Provincial Finance and Health Minister Taimur Jhagra on Monday announced he had gone into self-isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus. In a posting on Twitter, he said that he had a “slight cough” but was otherwise “fine and healthy,” adding that he would continue to work from home, health permitting.
The provincial government on Tuesday reported no new deaths, sustaining toll at 1,259. In the past 24 hours, its recoveries rose by 20 to 35,971 while its confirmed cases have increased by 26 to 37,727. The province conducted 4,225 tests on Monday and currently has 497 active cases of coronavirus.
Balochistan
Spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani on Monday said the provincial government had decided to delay reopening of primary schools, originally scheduled for Sept. 30, by 15 days due to a recent surge in new coronavirus cases. He said that the proposal would be presented to the NCOC on Tuesday (today).
The province conducted 1,217 tests on Monday, raising confirmed cases to 15,177 with 85 new infections. There were no new deaths and 53 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining fatalities at 145 and raising recoveries to 13,600. There are now 1,432 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Tuesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 62 to 16,532 after conducting 4,004 tests. There were no deaths and 31 recoveries in the past 24 hours, sustaining casualties at 181 and raising recoveries to 15,826, leaving 525 active cases.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday increased by 49 to 3,730 after conducting 510 tests. The region reported 1 new death, raising toll to 88, while its recoveries increased by 50 to 3,283, leaving 359 active cases.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases have increased by 2 to 2,663 after conducting 540 tests. There were 10 recoveries and 1 death in the past 24 hours, leaving 72 fatalities and 2,332 fully recovered. It now has 259 active cases of COVID-19.
Global situation
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 33,552,166 people, with over 1,006,379 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 24,880,949 patients of the 33.5 million+ infected have recovered thus far, with health experts warning of an impending second wave as winter approaches.