Pakistan's Covid-19 positivity ratio recorded at 3.79%, highest since June 4

Karachi: Pakistan recorded Covid-19 positivity at 3.79% as the ratio continued to stay above 3% for the fourth consecutive day amid worries that the country was about to see the fourth wave of the coronavirus.

The positivity ratio is the highest since June 4 when it was recorded at 3.81%.

The latest data by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) shows that 48,134 people were tested for the novel virus during the last 24 hours.

Of these, 1,828 people tested positive, the highest number of people to be diagnosed with the virus in a single day since June 4. The latest data shows that there are 36,454 active cases and 2,049 critical cases.

Pakistan administers 425,640 Covid-19 vaccines in 24 hours: NCOC

A total of 912 people also recovered in 24 hours across the country. So far, 912,295 people have recovered from the novel virus in Pakistan. The coronavirus claimed 35 more lives, taking the death toll to 22,555.

According to the province-wise breakdown, the total cases reported in Sindh are 345,269, in Punjab 347,793, in Islamabad 83,513, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 139,162, in Balochistan 27,863, in Gilgit-Baltistan 6,769 and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir 20,935.

NCOC recommends banning air travel for unvaccinated people from August

Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah said that as many as 15 people were diagnosed with the delta variant of Covid-19 in the Rawalpindi district. The health authorities have recommended a smart lockdown in localities of Rawalpindi where the delta variant cases have been reported.

As Covid-19 cases continue to increase, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar warned that there are early signs of the fourth wave. "Poor SOP compliance, coupled with spread of variants of concern, Indian variant in particular, are the main cause," Umar tweeted.

In the wake of the rise in Covid-19 cases in the country, the NCOC has said that those who are unvaccinated will not be allowed to travel by air from August 1. The NCOC has also made it mandatory for adult students to get themselves vaccinated by August 31.