Daily Times

Pakistan has recorded 2,829 cases and 43 deaths due to the Covid-19 during the last 24 hours, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday.

According to the NCOC, 43 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 7,985. Likewise, the national tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 395,185 with the inclusion of fresh cases. The number of active cases stands at 47,390 as 339,810 people have recovered from the deadly disease . A total of 2,257 patients recovered from the virus during the last 24 hours; however, 2,186 patients are in critical condition.

A total of 40,369 tests were conducted across the country during this period, while 5,475,508 samples have been tested so far.

In Sindh, as many as 1,419 fresh cases of the Covid-19 were recorded during the last 24 hours, said Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

“The provincial virus tally has reached 173,014 cases,” the chief minister said during a routine briefing on Covid-19 situation and added that out of the total cases reported in a day in the province, 1,132 people belong to Karachi, which is almost 80 percent of total recorded cases.

He said that 13 more people lost their lives while battling coronavirus, bringing the provincial death toll to 2,924 and further added that on the contrary, 151,529 patients have so far recovered in the province including 764 during the last 24 hours.

He said that 18,561 Covid-19 patients are currently being treated in the province of which 770 are treated at the hospitals. “685 patients are said to be in critical condition and 61 of them are on ventilators,” Murad Ali Shah said.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Farooq Sattar on Sunday said that he has tested positive again for the novel coronavirus. Sattar tested positive again after completion of 14 days’ of his isolation period. He was first detected with coronavirus positive on November 14.

While announcing the result of his coronavirus test, Farooq Sattar said he has no symptoms of the Covid-19, adding that his wife has also been diagnosed positive for the disease in a fresh test. The former Karachi mayor said that he will continue to remain in quarantine till the diagnostic report turns negative.

Around 19 more patients succumbed to the coronavirus in Punjab on Saturday, taking the provincial death toll to 2,979. The province also recorded 613 new cases. Its tally for confirmed cases now stands at 118,511. These cases have been registered against a total of 1,969,486 tests conducted in Punjab since the outbreak of the pandemic. As many as 98?331 people out of the total recorded cases have recovered from the virus in the province.

Meanwhile, at least three more people succumbed to Covid-19 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) during the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 161. According to health officials, 126 new cases emerged in the region as the tally reached 6,682. They further said that 87 more people recovered from the disease, taking the tally to 5,076.

Five major cities of the country, including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi, Hyderabad and Peshawar, are contributing 70 percent of the coronavirus spread, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) was told on Sunday.

A meeting of the NCOC was held with Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar in the chair to review the situation of coronavirus cases and implementation on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) across the country.

The NCOC was briefed on Sunday that around 46 deaths on an average were recorded for this week and average 237 hospital admissions were noted. It was also apprised that all required medical equipment is available as per need and proper supply is being managed.

The forum directed for stringent enforcement measures to control the spread of disease. The NCOC has said that Pakistan’s COVID-19 positivity ratio has reached 7.1 percent.

Highest positivity ratio observed in Mirpur 24.85 percent followed by Hyderabad 22.181 and Karachi 18.96 %

The forum was informed that the highest test positivity rate was recorded in Mirpur district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), 24.85 percent, followed by Hyderabad, 22.18 percent, and Karachi 18.96 percent.

The positivity ratio in various federating units is as follows: AJK, 16.58 percent; Balochistan, 9.12 percent; GB 5.56 percent; Islamabad 5.30 percent; KP, 5.31 percent; Punjab, 3.45 percent; and Sindh 15.31 percent.

There are a total of 2,186 critically ill Covid-19 patients across the country and the number of such patients is increasing sharply, the NCOC was informed.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that around 13,638 health professionals have been affected by the coronavirus in the province so far.

Addressing a news conference on Sunday, Dr Yasmin Rashid said that non-adherence to coronavirus-related standard operating procedures ( SOPs) has intensified the spread of the pandemic in the province. She said that by wearing face masks, the spread of the virus can be reduced by 70 percent.

Dr Yasmin Rashid urged the opposition parties to give priority to the health of masses and postpone holding of public gatherings.

It is pertinent to mention here that around 19 more patients succumbed to the coronavirus in Punjab on Saturday, taking the provincial death toll to 2,979. The province also recorded 613 new cases. Its tally for confirmed cases now stands at 118,511. These cases have been registered against a total of 1,969,486 tests conducted in Punjab since the outbreak of the pandemic. As many as 98?331 people out of the total recorded cases have recovered from the virus in the province.