34 new cases of Omicron variant reported in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Thirty-four new cases of Omicron variant have been reported in Islamabad, taking the total count of infections of the coronavirus mutation to 66, ARY News reported on Friday.

The District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeem Zia confirmed that 34 more cases of Omicron were reported in Islamabad during the past 24 hours. The total number of infections has reached up to 66.

The health officer said in a statement that the first Omicron case was reported in Islamabad on December 25, adding that it is feared that the coronavirus mutation will further spread in Islamabad in the wake of a rising threat of Omicron across the globe.

Dr Zaeem Zia advised citizens not to panic due to the recent developments but to adopt strict precautionary steps. He asked citizens to wear face masks and undergo COVID-19 vaccination at the earliest.

READ: WORLD NATIONS TRY TO BALANCE OMICRON RESTRICTIONS WHILE KEEPING ECONOMIES OPEN

Earlier today, eleven more cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus were reported in Sindh capital Karachi. Sources relayed that eleven members of the same family were found to be infected with the new strain.

The affected people, residents of the city’s District East, include eight women and three men whose ages range from 26 to 77. The number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the metropolis has risen to 44 with the addition of the new cases.

On Dec 28, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said so far 75 cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in Pakistan. 33 of the cases were reported in Karachi, 17 in Islamabad, and 13 in Lahore.

The NIH said that authorities are conducting contact tracing to prevent the further spread of omicron variant in the country.