ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is witnessing a rising trend in COVID-19 cases as the country recorded 3,019 new pandemic cases over the last 24 hours, marking it the highest in nearly the past four months. According to the latest figures shared by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), a total of 49,270 samples were tested during this period, out of which 3,019 turned out to be positive, showing a drastic surge in the national positivity rate of 6.12 per cent as compared to yesterday’s 4.7%. The total number of deaths from the pandemic climbed to 28,992 after five more patients succumbed to the viral disease in the past 24 hours. The number of coronavirus patients in critical care in various hospitals across the country has seen a surge and currently stands at 651. Meanwhile, the COVID positivity ratio in Karachi is witnessing an alarming upward trend after it crossed 20 percent today amid concerns regarding Omicron variant. According to the provincial health ministry, as many as 1,223 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the city after tests were performed on 6,048 samples.