Pakistan's COVID positivity rate reaches 7.46%

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s COVID-19 positivity rate has reached 7.46 per cent, which is the highest in a single day since July 22, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

A meeting of the NCOC with Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar in the chair expressed concern over rising coronavirus cases across the country. The meeting was attended by Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood and the PM’s Adviser on National Health Services Faisal Sultan.

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The health authorities gave a detailed briefing on the current coronavirus situation, including a reported spike in deaths and infections, and its impact on educational institutions as well as measures to address the pandemic.

The NCOC was briefed that Pakistan’s positivity ratio has soared to 7.46 per cent lately. Azad Jammu and Kashmir that has been put under a blanket lockdown for a fortnight recorded the highest positivity ratio at 11.45pc, followed by 9.85pc witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Sindh recorded 9.63pc, Islamabad 8.09pc, Gilgit Baltistan 5.23pc and Punjab 3.95pc.

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It was informed that an average of 35 fatalities have been reported countrywide daily for the past two weeks. The positivity ratio of coronavirus cases in education institutions has reached 3.3 per cent.

The NCOC was told that the number of cases has risen in several cities in Pakistan, including Rawalpindi, Multan, Lahore and Faisalabad in Punjab; Karachi and Hyderabad in Sindh; Peshawar, Abbottabad and Swat in KP; Mirpur in AJK; Gilgit and Islamabad.

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Critically ill Covid-19 patients also saw an alarming spike over the past two weeks, the NCOC was told.