ISLAMABAD: As many as 20 more patients succumbed to coronavirus overnight, taking Pakistan’s Covid-19 death toll to 29,097, said data issued by National Command and Operation’s (NCOC) on Sunday.
As the Omicron driven fifth wave of the pandemic continues to get worse in Pakistan, the patients on critical care have reached 1,083 up from 1,055 a day earlier, after the condition of 28 deteriorated in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Pakistan reported 7,586 fresh cases of COVID-19 after 58,334 tests were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours. The new cases pushed the country’s positivity ratio to 13% and the nationwide cases tally to 1,367,605.
Pakistan registered its highest number of daily COVID-19 cases — 7,678 — on Friday since the pandemic started in 2020, the NCOC’s statistics had showed. In addition to this, the country’s active coronavirus cases surged to 70,263, making it the highest in over four months. Pakistan last reported 65,725 active cases on September 16, 2021.
Following the new infections, the overall cases have reached 1,367,605, while 20 more deaths have taken the toll to 29,097, according to NCOC’s data. A day ago, the NCOC revised Covid-19 protocols for mosques and announced that only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to pray inside the places of worship.
The NCOC revised mosque protocols a day after Pakistan recorded its highest daily infections count at 7,678 since the pandemic started in 2020. The body leading Pakistan’s Covid-19 response also announced on Friday that all schools with a high Covid-19 positivity ratio would remain closed for one week across the country.
The government has also announced that passengers seeking to travel outside of Pakistan can get free booster doses. According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Health, the government has decided to abolish booster shot fees.
People who are going abroad will get free booster jabs by showing their travel documents at vaccination centres, the notification said, adding that the booster dose is already free for the general public. Earlier, Rs1,250 was being charged for the booster shot from those who were travelling abroad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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