Pakistan has reported 6,137 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, down from 6,377 a day earlier. On Saturday, 28 more people succumbed to the virus compared to 48 on Friday. The national positivity rate stood at 9.7 per cent, marking the fifth straight day it has remained below 10pc.
Another 16,347 people have recovered from the coronavirus in Pakistan, taking the country’s tally to 1,333,732. According to the government’s Covid-19 portal, the number of active cases has reduced to 91,620 while 1,649 patients are in critical condition.
On the international front, some 50 members of Irans 290-seat parliament have contracted Covid-19, Reuters quoted a senior MP as saying, with the Omicron variant spreading unabated across the county. MP Alireza Salimi, speaking to YJC, a news agency linked to Iran’s state TV, said this week’s parliamentary session would be held in accordance with health regulations.
Iran has seen a surge in cases after a brief respite following mass vaccinations. In recent days it has reported an average of more than 30,000 new infections a day.
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has said that he has tested positive for the Omicron variant of Covid-19, reports Reuters. In a tweet, Erdogan said he and his wife were experiencing mild symptoms of the coronavirus, adding that he will continue his work from home. Japan hit a record single-day number of Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to public broadcaster NHK said. The country’s daily virus cases have exceeded 100,000 cases, marking a fresh high, NHK reported. Reuters reports most regions in Japan are now under infection control measures to try to blunt the spread of Omicron that has exploded among a population where less than five per cent have received vaccine booster shots.
