Pakistan on Thursday reported 3,946 cases of coronavirus, the highest since July 2, 2020, when 4,432 cases were recorded in the country. The positivity rate also rose to 10.1%, as the total caseload for Pakistan increased to 640,998 cases.
The deadly virus claimed 63 more lives in the country, taking the overall death toll to 14,028, according to the latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). A total of 38,858 tests were conducted across country on Thursday. Since the detection of the first Covid-19 case in Pakistan, overall 9,934,373 tests have been conducted so far. As of Thursday, 2,587 patients are in a critical condition across country, whereas, 27,47 people recovered from the deadly disease on Thursday. Overall 588,975 have regained their health from the Covid-19. Sindh remains top on the list with 263,815 cases reported in the province so far, followed by Punjab with 205,314 COVID cases so far.
On Thursday, as many as four more patients of coronavirus died, lifting the death toll to 4,486 while 247 new cases emerged in the province in 8,506 tests conducted.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued here on Thursday said that four more patients of Covid-19 lost their lives lifting the death toll to 4,486 which constitutes 1.7% death rate. Shah said that 8,506 samples were tested out of which 247 cases came back positive, constituting 2.9% detection rate.
He added that so far 3,242,050 tests have been conducted against which 264,061 cases have been diagnosed positive. Of total positive cases in the province so far, 96.7 percent or 255,399 patients have recovered, including 152 on Thursday.
The chief minister said that currently 4,176 patients are under treatment, of them 3,888 in home isolation, eight at isolation centers and 280 at different hospitals. He added that the condition of 251 patients is stated to be critical, including 40 put on ventilators.
According to the statement, out of 247 new cases, 120 have been detected from Karachi, including 51 from East, 38 South, Central and Malir 10 each, 9 West and 2 Korangi. Hyderabad has 31, Ghotki 18, Matiari 14, Kashmore 12, Dadu 11, Tando Allahyar 10, Nausheroferoze and Umerkot 6 each, Badin 3, Larkana 2, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur and Sanghar 1 each.
Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir collectively reported 620 coronavirus cases and two deaths on Thursday. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 583 coronavirus cases and eight deaths. The provincial caseload has risen to 81,787 and the death toll is 2,246.
Meanwhile, Balochistan recorded 21 new cases and two deaths. The provincial tally has increased to 19,395 and the death toll has increased to 205.
Punjab has reported 2,571 coronavirus cases and 51 deaths during the last 24 hours. The provincial total has risen to 205,314 and the death toll is 6,099.
Pakistan has reported 2,747 coronavirus recoveries during the last 24 hours, according to the government’s portal for tracking the spread of the disease in the country. The total number has risen to 588,975 and the recovery rate is 91.9 per cent.
India is holding up export licences for Covid-19 vaccines destined for poor countries due to increased domestic demand as its own cases rise, Covax facility co-leader Gavi has said. The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is being produced under licence in India for the Covax scheme, also led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is meant to ensure that low-income countries can access Covid-19 jabs. “Delays in granting further export licenses for Serum Institute (SII) of India-produced Covid-19 vaccine doses are due to the increased demand of Covid-19 vaccines in India,” a Gavi spokesman told AFP.
SII is manufacturing vaccines for 64 lower-income countries via Covax, and for India’s domestic vaccination campaign.
