Alarm as Karachi reports 18pc COVID positivity ratio

KARACHI: The positivity ratio in Karachi has reached an alarming level of 18 percent, prompting the health authorities in the Sindh province to convene an emergency meeting to recommend proposals for curbing the surge, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details shared by the health department, as many as 4,469 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the metropolitan out of which 805 has tested positive for the infection in the last 24 hours, bringing the positivity ratio to 18 percent.

“The positivity ratio remained at 15.52 percent a day before,” the health department said.

Meanwhile, amid a surge in the positivity ratio, the Sindh health ministry headed by Azra Fazl Pechuhu has convened an emergency meeting of the COVID task force to deal with a rise in COVID cases, especially the Omicron variant.

The meeting would be held in the afternoon at the health department office, where proposals would be mulled over regarding measures needed to curtail the cases.

Yesterday, the Sindh health department shared that the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in Karachi as the city has reported 191 cases of the variant that was first found in South Africa.

According to the report of the health department, 49 new Omicron cases have been reported in Karachi’s South district, while 83 have been logged from district East so far.

Malir, 4, Korangi, 2, West four, Central district of the port city has reported 13 cases of the new variant so far, while 25 Omicron cases have been reported from the sorrounding areas of Karachi airport.