F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded a slight increase in the number of coronavirus deaths during the last 24 hours (Tuesday) as compared to a day earlier. The country also reported 1,563 new infections after conducting 41,285 tests with a positivity ratio of 3.78 percent, showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday morning.
As per the NCOC data, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 537,477 while deaths increased by 74 to 11,450. At the same time, recoveries increased by 2,081 to 492,207, or 91.6 percent of total infections.
There are currently 33,820 active cases of Covid-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 2,165 of them are in critical condition. Out of the total confirmed cases which are 537,477, Punjab has 155,214 cases, Sindh 242,793, Balochistan 18,765, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 65,953, Islamabad 40,972, Gilgit Baltistan 4,903 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 8,877.
Punjab:
On Wednesday, authorities reported 38 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 4,646. The province now has 155,214 confirmed cases; it reported 497 new infections after conducting 16,704 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.97 percent. There were 466 new recoveries recorded, leaving 139,887 fully recovered, and 10,681 active cases of the virus.
Sindh:
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 242,793; it reported 739 new infections on Wednesday after conducting 11,083 tests, a positivity ratio of 6.67 percent. The province reported 25 new deaths, raising toll to 3,925, while its recoveries rose by 1,055 to 221,007. Overall, the province now has 17,861 active cases of the novel coronavirus.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
In the past 24 hours, the provincial government recorded 213 new infections after conducting 6,537 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.26 percent. Overall, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 65,953. It recorded nine new deaths, raising toll to 1,857, while its recoveries have risen by 388 to 60,950. There are currently 3,146 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Balochistan:
The province on Wednesday raised its confirmed cases to 18,765 with 11 new infections after conducting 373 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.95 percent. There were no deaths and 22 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 193 fatalities and 18,315 fully recovered. There are now 257 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Islamabad:
Islamabad on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 80 to 40,972 after conducting 5,994 tests; a positivity ratio of 1.33 percent. There was one death and 127 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 469 casualties; 38,970 recovered; and 1,533 active cases.
Gilgit-Baltistan:
Gilgit-Baltistan reported 1 new case of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday after conducting 323 tests; it has 4,903 confirmed cases. The region reported no death and six recoveries, leaving 102 fatalities and 4,781 fully recovered people.
There are currently 20 active cases of COVID-19 in the region. Azad Kashmir: In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 22 to 8,877 after conducting 271 tests, a positivity ratio of 8.12 percent. There was one death and 17 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 258 fatalities and 8,297 fully recovered. It now has 322 active cases of COVID-19. Global developments. Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
– 100,000 British deaths –
More than 100,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in Britain since the pandemic started, making it the first European country to pass the threshold. “I am deeply sorry for every life that has been lost and, of course, as prime minister, I take full responsibility for everything that the government has done,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells a news conference.
– $22 trillion hit –
The pandemic is expected to slash $22 trillion off the global economy over 2020 to 2025, the International Monetary Fund says.
– EU gets tough on vaccines –
Tensions are mounting between the European Union and pharmaceutical firms over delays to vaccine deliveries, with leaders moving to track consignments being sent outside the bloc to higher bidders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel adds her voice to calls for a “fair” distribution of coronavirus vaccines across the world.
– Dutch government stands firm –
The Dutch government says it will not back down on its coronavirus curfew despite three nights of rioting, after the worst unrest to hit the Netherlands for four decades.
– Israel clashes –
Israeli police arrest 14 people following new clashes with ultra-Orthodox Jews demonstrating against coronavirus lockdown measures. – German flight ban? -Germany is considering almost completely halting flights into the country to slow the spread of more infectious strains of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer says.
– Irish lockdown –
Ireland will extend its third coronavirus lockdown until March 5 and enact mandatory travel quarantines for all travellers from Brazil and South Africa, Prime Minister Micheal Martin says.
– Tongue, hands, feet –
Changes to the tongue, the hands or the soles of the feet could give an early indication of Covid-19 infection, Spanish researchers find in a new study.
– Second dose delay? –
Amid a global shortage of vaccines, the World Health Organization cautiously backs delaying second injections of the Moderna jab.
– Nearly 100 million cases –
At least 2,140,687 people have died of coronavirus since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally from official sources. More than 99,631,812 cases have been registered. The US has suffered the highest death toll with 421,134 deaths, followed by Brazil with 217,664 and India with 153,587.
– ‘Safe and secure’ Olympics –
The International Olympic Committee says it is determined “safe and secure” Tokyo Games will go ahead and that while it urges participants to be vaccinated, that is only part of its Covid-19 “toolbox”.
