Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Pakistan on Friday reported 54 deaths and 3,113 new cases in the last 24 hours by the novel Coronavirus.The number of positive cases surged to 389,311 and the tally of fatalities jumped to 7,897.
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center, 3,113 persons tested positive for Covid-19. Meanwhile, the country’s coronavirus positivity ratio fell to 7.2pc, days after reaching its highest-ever level of 7.4pc since the pandemic emerged in the country nine months ago.
Sindh has 166,763 cases and 2,885 deaths; Punjab 117,160 cases and 2,945 deaths; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 46,281 cases, 1,346 deaths; Islamabad 28,980 cases, 305 deaths; Balochistan 16,942 cases and 165 deaths, Azad Kashmir 6,403 cases and 152 deaths, Gilgit Baltistan 4,583 cases and 96 deaths.
A morning session of the National Command and Operation Centre, attended by chief secretaries via video link, was apprised about the disease’s prevalence and spread in various parts of the country. The meeting was informed that Sindh has the highest positivity ratio of 13.25pc, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 10.79pc, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 9.25pc, Balochistan 6.41pc, Islamabad 5.84pc, Gilgit-Baltistan 4.81pc. Punjab has the lowest positivity ratio of 3.59pc. Peshawar has the highest Covid-19 positivity of 19.65pc, followed by Karachi at 17.73pc and Hyderabad 16.32pc. The federal capital’s positivity ratio stands at 5.84pc and Lahore’s at 4.52pc. At least 2,112 patients are in critical condition across the country and the number is increasing rapidly. The forum was also informed that meetings were held with Ulema to discuss the compliance of health guidelines. The federating units praised the compliance of standard operating procedures in mosques and public awareness about the pandemic through Ulema. Pakistan has reported 3,113 cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, making it the third day in a row that the country has recorded more than 3,000 infections, data from the government’s Covid-19 portal shows. Among provinces and federation units, Sindh has the highest positivity rate of 13.25pc, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir stands on the second spot with a ratio of 10.79pc. Punjab has a positivity rate of 3.59pc — the lowest in the country.
“Continuous monitoring and anticipation of likely pattern/disease prevalence is most important as only this will help us [come up with the] required response for [stopping the spread of] Covid,” said NCOC Chairperson Asad Umar.
The NCOC lauded efforts of the ulema for ensuring that SOPs were bing followed in mosques and spreading awareness about the virus among the masses.
Asad Umar, who is also the federal planning minister, said that the health ministry should issue guidelines and directions to follow SOPs as laid out by the government in order to ensure public health and safety.
