The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday said the positivity ratio of Covid-19 cases on average was 40 percent higher in the past four day, making it the fifth continuous day with increased positive cases and deaths due to coronavirus. The NCOC session held with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar was briefed by health officials on data-based facts, about increasing positivity ratio, increase in number of hospital admissions and increasing number of deaths. It was noted that Muzafarabad, Hyderabad, Karachi and Gilgit had higher positivity ratio along with other areas across the country. The hospital admissions are also on increase particularly in Punjab, the forum was told. “There is an increase in number of critical patients in hospitals.” Punjab chief secretary updated the forum on increasing figures in Punjab as death ratio in Punjab was 1.6 percent on September 1 which at present has reached 6 percent. Moreover, the positivity ratio in Punjab has increased from 0.92 percent to 1.33 percent. On the death analysis, the forum was informed that Pakistan’s current case fertility rate is 2.06 percent against global 2.72 percent. Around 71 percent of total deaths comprises of males, out of which 76 percent are over the age of 50 years. The forum would revisit the prevailing Covid-19 situation on Monday to further assess pandemic outbreak situation. The total active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Friday were recorded 9,855 as 736 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during the last 24 hours. Thirteen corona patients, 12 of whom were under treatment in hospital and one out of hospital died on Thursday, according to the latest update issued by the NCOC. No Covid-affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Balochistan, while 89 ventilators elsewhere in Pakistan, out of 1,884 allocated for Covid-19 patients, were occupied. Some 27,050 tests were conducted across the country on Thursday, including 6,551 in Sindh, 10,957 in Punjab, 2,750 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 4,704 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 1,098 in Balochistan, 380 in Gilgit Baltistan (GB), and 610 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Around 309,646 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients. Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 326,216 cases were detected so far, including AJK 3,688, Balochistan 15,767, GB 4,127, ICT 18,578, KP 38,886, Punjab 102,253 and Sindh 142,917. About 6,715 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion, including 2,591 Sindh among one of them died in hospital on Thursday, 2,329 in Punjab among six of them in hospital on Thursday, 1,267 in KP one of them in hospital on Thursday, 205 in ICT four of them died in hospital on Thursday, 148 in Balochistan, 90 in GB and 85 in AJK as one of them died out of hospital on Thursday. A total of 4,204,320 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 735 hospitals are equipped with Covid facilities. Some 845 corona patients were admitted in hospitals across the country. A college in Rawalpindi was sealed on Friday after three of its teachers contracted coronavirus. The Government Degree College in Satellite Town was shut down on the order of the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner after coronavirus reports of three teachers came back positive. Deputy Commissioner Captain (r) Anwarul Haq said coronavirus samples were taken from 104 students and teachers, of which three were declared positive. He said the college will remain closed for one week i.e. from October 23 to 29.