Pakistan sees sharp decline in active Covid-19 cases

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded another 24 deaths and 893 infections from the coronavirus pandemic during the last 24 hours (Friday), showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday morning.

As per the NCOC statistics, after the addition of 24 new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,252 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,263,664 after adding the fresh 893 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Friday), a total of 52,589 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 1.69 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 2,014.

During the last 24 hours (Friday), as many as 13,848 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,208,438. As of Saturday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 26,974.

As many as 465,175 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 437,572 in Punjab, 176,650 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 106,402 in Islamabad, 33,114 in Balochistan, 34,385 in Azad Kashmir and 10,366 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 12,833 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,525 in Sindh, 5,679 in KP, 937 in Islamabad, 740 in Azad Kashmir, 352 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Global Developments

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

– US opens borders to jabbed –

The United States announces that it will allow entry to foreign travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, by both land and air, starting November 8.

– Italians protest new rules –

Protesters gather at Italian ports and thousands take to the streets against the introduction of one of the world’s toughest Covid pass regimes.

– EU injections for 5 to 11s? –

Pfizer and BioNTech say they have submitted data to the EU’s medicines watchdog for the approval of their coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, following a similar step in the United States.

– Vaccinations for S.Africa kids –

South Africa will begin vaccinating children as young as 12 next week and also offer boosters for some who suffer from certain immune disorders.

– Third shots for all in Denmark –

Denmark, which lifted anti-Covid curbs in September, will propose a third vaccination for all, the health minister says.

– France ends free tests –

France stops offering Covid tests free of charge for everyone, in the government’s latest effort to incite unvaccinated people into getting a jab.

– Over 4.8 million dead –

The coronavirus has killed at least 4,878,719 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Friday.

The US has suffered the most Covid-related deaths at 721,567, followed by Brazil with 602,099, India 451,814, Mexico 283,574 and Russia 221,313.

Taking into account excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, the World Health Organization estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.