KARACHI: The COVID-19 detection rate – the number of cases reported as compared to samples tested – in Karachi is rapidly rising, leading to alarm among health officials.
According to a spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department, Karachi recorded a coronavirus positivity ratio of 11.46% in the last 24 hours. The spokesperson said Karachi registered 404 cases, with an infection rate of 11.46%, while Hyderabad recorded 15 infections, taking its positivity ratio to 4.11%.
The remaining districts of Sindh recorded 178 cases, translating into an infection rate of 2.02%, the spokesperson for the province’s health department said. The metropolis’s infection rate was at 8.21% a day earlier, while it hit an alarming 13.81% two days back.
The rise to a double digit positivity ratio in Karachi comes two weeks after the Sindh government decided to ease certain curbs that were in place to guard against the spread of coronavirus.
Schools and educational institutions, for classes IX and above, all reopened on June 7. The Sindh government has made it mandatory for all teachers and staffers to get vaccinated. But the vaccination drive hit a snag with shortages in supplies of vaccines.
Shops and markets have been allowed to remain open till 8pm instead of 6pm. Restaurants have been allowed to open outdoor dining until 12am, while ensuring that there is sufficient distance between people sitting in the outdoor areas.
The provincial government also decided to reopen beaches, including Sea View for recreational purposes. All salons and beauty parlours are now allowed to operate under strict coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs).
