LAHORE: Two more fatalities and 358 new coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours, according to NCOC data. According to the NCOC statistics, 52,050 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours. The overall positivity rate remained 0.68 percent. Punjab Secretary for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Imran Sikandar Baloch has said that a significant decline is being witnessed in the coronavirus cases across the province. In a statement on Sunday, he said that SOPs have been issued for various sectors to bring about a further decrease in Covid-19 cases. He urged the general public to maintain social distancing, wear masks and contact 1033 for any guidance or complaints.
At least 52 people recovered from Covid-19 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the past 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 174,730. The provincial health authorities further said that 31 people contracted the virus, with the confirmed cases now standing at 181,235. Fortunately, no deaths were reported during the period. So far, 5,922 people have succumbed to the disease in K-P.
Meanwhile, Balochistan reported no Covid-19 infections during the past 24 hours, with the tally of confirmed cases currently standing at 33,624.
According to health officials, four more patients recovered from the disease, bringing the recoveries to 33,172. With no new deaths reported since Saturday, the toll stands at 363 in the province.
Pakistan continues to report cases of the omicron variant. The strain was first detected in South Africa last month and within a few weeks of its discovery has spread across nearly 90 countries in the world.
On Saturday, the federal capital reported its first case of the new strain, a senior official announced, saying the patient had traveled to Islamabad from Karachi. Pakistan reported its first omicron case in Karachi on December 13, though many other people were suspected to have contracted the variant in other parts of the country, including Balochistan.
Last week, Planning Minister Asad Umar requested eligible nationals to get themselves vaccinated after the emergence of omicron cases in the country. He said the spread of the new variant across the world had made it “even more urgent” to increase the pace of the vaccination campaign.
So far, 92,086,806 people have received their first dose of anti-Covid vaccines in Pakistan, while 65,149,948 have been fully inoculated, official data shows. TLTP
