COVID-19 numbers creeping up in Pakistan again – Geo News

Pakistan reports 309 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day.Virus positivity rate reaches 2.22%, NIH data shows.Karachi remains most affected city with 15.85% COVID-19 positivity rate.

The COVID-19 numbers in Pakistan are continuing to slowly creep up, with the positivity rate witnessing nearly a 2% jump within a span of just the last five days. Karachi is the most affected city, the latest data by the National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) showed Friday morning.

As per the latest stats, the country reported 309 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day, which pushed the positivity rate to 2.22%.

The fresh cases were detected after diagnostic tests on 13,941 samples.

Meanwhile, 80 patients are currently being treated in intensive-care units at different medical facilities across the country. However, no death from coronavirus was reported in the last 24 hours.

Moreover, the positivity rate in Sindh climbed to 6.1%, with a 15.85% positivity in Karachi alone. Despite a major drop in the city’s positivity rate since Thursday — when it stood at 21.23% — Karachi is still the most affected city in the country.

As per the NIH stats, the second most affected city in the country is Mardan with a 4.76% COVID-19 positivity rate.

Sindh health department orders strict implementation of SOPs

Amid rising fears of a sixth COVID-19 wave, the Sindh health department has expressed concerns in a letter to the Karachi and Hyderabad commissioners.

The health department directed the commissioners to ensure strict implementation of COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the two cities.

The SOPs include mask-wearing, social distancing, checking vaccination cards and limiting public transport occupancy to 70%.

The health department has expressed fear of a spread of COVID-19 sub-variants BA-5 and BA-4.

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