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Confirmed infections of COVID-19 reach 947,218, against 889,787 recoveries and 21,940 deaths, leaving 35,491 active cases
Pakistan on Saturday reported 991 new infections of COVID-19 after conducting 46,269 tests—a positivity ratio of 2.14 percent.
Pakistan on Friday shuttered Chaman’s Pak-Afghan Friendship Gate for bilateral pedestrian traffic as part of new travel curbs linked to a recent rise in coronavirus cases in Afghanistan. In a statement, the National Command and Operation Center said that the gate would remain closed “till further notice.” Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan, and Afghans in Pakistan, would still be permitted to return to their homelands but would need to adhere to strict SOPs.
Confirmed Cases, Total – 947,218 (Tests: 14,072,605)
Punjab – 344,799
Sindh – 331,094
Balochistan – 26,529
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 136,819
Islamabad – 82,313
Gilgit-Baltistan – 5,771
Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 19,893
Deaths – 21,940
Recoveries – 889,787
In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Saturday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 947,218. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 27 to 21,940. At the same time, recoveries increased by 1,282 to 889,787, or 93.9 percent of total infections. There are currently 35,491 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 2,296 of them require critical care.
Punjab
On Saturday, authorities reported 12 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 10,615. The province now has 344,799 confirmed cases; it reported 158 new infections after conducting 17,089 tests, a positivity ratio of 0.92 percent. There were 12 new recoveries recorded, leaving 323,925 fully recovered, and 10,259 active cases of the virus.
Sindh
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 331,094; it reported 542 new infections on Saturday after administering 13,970 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.9 percent. The province reported 8 deaths, raising toll to 5,314, while its recoveries rose by 514 to 305,933. Overall, the province now has 19,847 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 156 new infections after conducting 10,342 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.51 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 136,819. It recorded 5 new deaths and 225 recoveries, raising toll to 4,257 and recoveries to 129,678. There are currently 2,884 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan
The province on Saturday raised its confirmed cases to 26,529 with 63 new infections after administering 971 tests for a positivity ratio of 6.5 percent. There were no deaths and 96 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 300 fatalities and 25,468 fully recovered. There are now 761 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Federal Areas
Islamabad on Saturday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 35 to 82,313 after conducting 3,103 tests, a positivity ratio of 1.13 percent. There were 2 deaths and 46 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 775 casualties; 80,335 recovered; and 1,203 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday recorded 12 new cases of COVID-19 after conducting 302 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.97 percent; it now has 5,771 confirmed cases. The region reported no new deaths and 20 recoveries, leaving 108 fatalities and 5,566 fully recovered people. There are currently 97 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 25 to 19,893 after administering 492 tests, a positivity ratio of 5.1 percent. There were no deaths and 32 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 571 fatalities and 18,882 fully recovered. It now has 440 active cases of COVID-19.
Across the world
Globally, the virus has now infected more than 178,603,212 people, with over 3,866,947 reported deaths. After having passed through two waves of the pandemic, the world is divided between countries that are either in the midst of a third wave 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 163,123,858 patients of the 178.6 million+ infected have recovered thus far.