Lahore sees 19 new cases of Omicron

LAHORE: 19 more people were found affected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in Lahore in the last 24 hours, the provincial health department said on Wednesday.

The number of confirmed cases of the new strain in Punjab has jumped to 177. Most of these cases have emerged in the provincial capital where the tally stands at 177.

Also Read: WHO sees more evidence that Omicron causes milder symptoms

Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid tested positive for the coronavirus the other day. The health department said her samples have been sent to a lab for genome sequencing – a study that confirms the exact strain of the virus – and a report thereof will be received tomorrow.

Ms Rashid said Omicron is the most transmissible strain that spreads fast, advising people to adhere to SOPs to keep the virus at bay.

Also Read: COVID-19 positivity rate rises to 1.80 per cent

Covid-19 cases are on the rise across the country that reported 898 fresh infections in the previous 24 hours with the positivity rate of 1.80 per cent.

According to the latest figures shared by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), a total of 49,673 samples were tested during this period, out of which 898 turned out to be positive, showing a national positivity rate of 1.8 per cent as compared to yesterday’s 1.42%.