LAHORE: On Wednesday, the provincial health department administered 19 more Omicron variant cases in Lahore in the last 24 hours. The number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in Punjab has risen to 177. Most of these cases have emerged in the provincial capital. However, Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid tested positive for the coronavirus the other day. The health department said her samples have been sent to a lab for genome sequencing – a study that confirms the exact strain of the virus – and a report thereof will be received tomorrow. Dr Yasmin said Omicron is the most transmissible strain that spreads fast, advising people to adhere to SOPs to keep the virus away. Covid-19 cases are on the rise across the country that reported 898 new infections in the previous 24 hours with the positivity rate of 1.80 percent.