Pakistan registers uptick in coronavirus fatalities in last 24 hours

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan registered an uptick in coronavirus fatalities but the number of infections continued to slide.

According to the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday morning, the country has recorded 49 deaths, nearly double of what was reported a day earlier, and another 2,465 coronavirus infections during the last 24 hours (Tuesday).

As per the latest NCOC data, after the addition of 49 new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 29,877 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,491,423 after adding the fresh 2,465 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Tuesday), 49,553 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 4.97 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 1,534.

During the last 24 hours (Tuesday), as many as 4,792 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,388,517. As of Wednesday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 73,029.

As many as 560,670 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 496,724 in Punjab, 212,078 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 133,388 in Islamabad, 35,133 in Balochistan, 42,180 in Azad Kashmir and 11,250 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,390 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 8,000 in Sindh, 6,153 in KP, 1,001 in Islamabad, 773 in Azad Kashmir, 371 in Balochistan and 189 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Global Developments

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

– Canada standoff –

Canadian officials, backed by freshly invoked emergency powers, look to bring an end to weeks of trucker-led protests against Covid restrictions, as the truckers dig in.

– ‘Back to normal’ in Netherlands –

The Netherlands will lift almost all anti-Covid restrictions by February 25 and return to normal life as cases and hospitalisations fall, health minister Ernst Kuipers says.

– Scholz declines Kremlin test –

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refuses a Kremlin Covid test on a visit to Moscow just like French leader Emmanuel Macron, opting instead for a swab from one of Berlin’s own doctors.

– Record cases in Indonesia –

Indonesia reports a record number of more than 57,000 new coronavirus cases as the Omicron variant spreads across the archipelago.

– Novavax for jab-shy Slovakia –

Slovakia’s health ministry opens registration for the new Covid jab from US company Novavax, which experts hope will win over vaccine sceptics.

– No hard lockdown for Hong Kong –

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam says she will not impose a mainland China-style hard lockdown as the city faces its worst virus wave to date.

– Omicron tidal wave to hit E. Europe –

The World Health Organization calls for increased vaccination efforts in Eastern Europe, warning that an Omicron “tidal wave” is heading eastwards.

– Djokovic: ‘I’m not anti-vax’ –

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic says he is not anti-vaccination but would rather skip Grand Slams than be forced to get a jab. The Serb was deported from Australia on the eve of last month’s Australian Open.

– Over 5.8 million dead –

Coronavirus has killed at least 5,823,938 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources Tuesday.

The US has recorded the most Covid deaths with 922,473, followed by Brazil with 638,835, and India 509,358.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates the true death toll could be two to three times higher.