Daily Times

2,443 new Coronavirus cases reported; 32 deaths in past 24 hoursPakistan has recorded 3,097 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, marking the first time in more than three weeks that the country reported more than 3,000 daily infections.

It last reported more than 3,000 infections on Dec 18 when 3,179 cases were confirmed across the country. The national tally of total active Covid-19 cases in Pakistan on Thursday reached 33,869, as 3,097 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 2,284 people recovered from the coronavirus. Forty-six patients, 40 of whom were under treatment in hospitals and six in their respective homes or quarantines, died, according to the latest update issued by the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Most of the deaths occurred in Punjab, followed by Sindh. Out of total 46 deaths, 28 patients died on ventilators.

No Covid-19 affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) while 328 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in Pakistan. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Multan 56 percent, Peshawar 32 percent, Bahawalpur 55 percent and Lahore 36 percent.

The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID patient) was also occupied in Four major areas of Peshawar 50 percent, Multan 33 percent, Karachi 37 percent and Rawalpindi 28 percent.

Some 41,574 tests were conducted across the country on Wednesday, including 14,519 in Sindh, 14,411 in Punjab, 6,207 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 5,264 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 555 in Balochistan, 380 in GB, and 238 in AJK.

Sindh has reported 1,235 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 231,953. Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have collectively reported 181 new cases and three deaths. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have collectively reported 380 new cases and four deaths, according to figures on the official Covid-19 portal. Punjab recorded 767 fresh coronavirus cases and 25 deaths, government data said.