ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported nearly 7,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day total in the past nine months, as the fifth wave of the coronavirus intensified, according to official data.
According to data provided by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the country registered 6,808 infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the caseload to 1.34 million.
A total of 58,943 samples were tested, out of which 6,808 turned out to be positive at the positivity rate of 11.55 per cent as compared to yesterday’s 9.48 per cent.
Five more patients of COVID-19 succumbed to the viral disease in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 29,042. The number of critical patients rose to 918, the NCOC reported.
Pakistan has conducted 24,356,373 tests so far to diagnose the deadly virus and 1,265,665 people have regained their health including 426 in the past 24 hours.
NCOC head and Planning Minister Asad Umar warned earlier this month that authorities have “clear evidence” of a new virus wave. He said a surge “has been expected for the last few weeks” and that genome sequencing shows a “rising proportion of omicron cases,” particularly in Karachi.
On Wednesday, the NCOC announced a string of restrictions to curb rising Covid-19 cases. A session of the country’s nerve centre for Covid response approved imposing restrictions from Jan 20 till Jan 31. These restrictions will be reviewed on Jan 27.
