Daily Covid-19 report: Pakistan logs 483 new cases, 2 more deaths

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday reported 483 fresh cases of the Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said.

According to NCOC, the nerve centre leading Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19, a total of 39,067 samples were tested, out of which 483 turned out to be positive.

The nationwide Covid-19 test positivity ratio remained 1.23 per cent, according to the NCOC data.

During the period, two more Covid patients succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 30,328.

The number of critical Covid patients in various hospitals across the country has come down to 503, according to a statement issued by NCOC.

Recently, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) announced the withdrawal of all Covid-19 related restrictions in Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar who also heads the NCOC, an umbrella body leading Pakistan’s fight against the pandemic, made the announcement, a key step for the country to move to normalization.

‘COVID-19 pandemic far from over’

A World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson said on Friday that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic was a long way off, citing a rise in cases in its latest weekly data.

The U.N. health agency has previously said that the acute phase of the pandemic could end this year but it would depend on how quickly we meet its target to vaccinate 70% of the population in each country, among other factors.

Asked by a journalist at a Geneva media briefing about the timing of the pandemic’s end, Margaret Harris said it was “far from over”. “We are definitely in the middle of the pandemic,” she added.