Asad Umar dispels impression covid cases dropping due to reduced testing

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Thursday dispelled the impression that daily confirmed coronavirus cases have declined due to a reduction in the number of tests.

Taking to Twitter, he said that some people are saying that cases have gone down only due to testing reduction.

“If positivity ratio was same as in mid june… 22% +, the 24,262 tests done yesterday would have resulted in 5,500 cases… Actual yesterday was 2,145.! Decline is primarily due to a nearly 60% reduction in positivity,” explained Asad Umar, who also heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid-19.

Some saying cases are down only due to testing reduction. If positivity ratio was same as in mid june… 22% +, the 24,262 tests done yesterday would have resulted in 5,500 cases… Actual yesterday was 2,145.! Decline is primarily due to a nearly 60% reduction in positivity

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) July 16, 2020

According to the government’s Covid-19 portal, 2,145 new cases were detected after 24,262 tests were conducted in last 24 hours.

73,751 coronavirus patients are under treatment while 178,737 patients have recovered. 16,52,183 tests have been conducted across the country so far.

A total of 107,773 infections have been detected in Sindh so far, 88,045 in Punjab, 31,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12,239  in Balochistan, 14,315 in Islamabad, 1,688 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 1,708 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had slammed the PTI government for what he said lowering Covid-19 testing capacity on purpose.

“If you stop testing, then the graph will go down. But the same number of people will fall ill and die,” Bilawal said at a press conference.