ISLAMABAD: Pakistan witnessed a decline in the number of coronavirus cases on Friday while the positivity ratio dropped below two percent.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan reported 1,043 cases and 39 deaths in the previous 24-hour period. The national tally of coronavirus cases has reached 946,227 while the death toll stands at 21,913.
There were 56,647 tests conducted in the past day, while the positivity ratio has dropped to 1.90%. The number of active cases in the country has also reduced to 35,809 while 2,413 patients remain in critical condition. Overall 888,505 people have recovered from the virus, including 1,410 in the past day.
Punjab has recorded 343,499 cases and 10,457 deaths, while the number of active cases in the province has reduced to 10,462. Islamabad has recorded 82,278 cases and 1.216 deaths while there are 1.216 active cases in the federal capital.
Sindh has recorded 330,552 cases and 5,306 deaths while the number of active cases in the province has dropped to 19,827. The number of coronavirus cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stands at 136,663 and 4,252 deaths while Balochistan has recorded 26,466 cases and 300 deaths.
Vaccine supply to improve after June 20
Amid reports of vaccine shortages in various parts of the country, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan said the government is making sincere efforts to ensure the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine at all vaccination centres and more doses are expected to arrive soon.
Dr Sultan said that so far 20 million citizens have been vaccinated as the government secured sufficient doses in the month of June to ramp up the vaccination drive in the country.
He dismissed reports that Pakistan had run out of vaccines and said that shortages were a global phenomenon. He said the vaccine situation in the country would improve after June 20 when more vaccines would arrive in Pakistan.
He said that the government was in contact with local and provincial administrations to make up the shortfall and manage the situation across the country. He said the government has two million doses available and vaccination drive will continue to protect citizens from the virus.
