ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported on Monday 255 cases of Covid-19 in a single day, its highest tally in five months, as authorities warned of a sixth wave of infections and made preparations to try to contain the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
The cases in the past 24 hours pushed the positivity ratio to 5.46 percent, the highest since October 24, according to data from the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), the federal body overseeing the pandemic response.
The contagion rate is the highest in the last five months, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).
COVID-19 Statistics 12 July 2022
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 4,674
Positive Cases: 255
Positivity %: 5.46%
Deaths: 01
Patients on Critical Care: 141— NIH Pakistan (@NIH_Pakistan) July 12, 2022
According to the NIH, of the total cases, 141 patients are critical and are being treated in intensive care units (ICU) at different medical facilities.
As many as 4,674 diagnostic tests were conducted across the country during the past 24 hours.
The tally of infected people increased to 1.543 million with the new cases, according to the data released by the ministry.
According to the ministry’s statistics, a total of 30,424 people died from the disease in Pakistan, with one more death recorded on Monday.
The last time when the country recorded a positivity rate of 5.55 per cent was on February 17. The death toll stood at 40 at the time.
The nation has had very few coronavirus cases in recent months and lifted almost all restrictions. But it has seen a spike in infections in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) tweaked its mask mandates where now the masks are mandatory again for domestic flights with immediate effect.
Experts said that the two sub-variants of the Omicron variant, namely BA.4 and BA.5, are responsible for the spread of Covid-19.
They said that these variants have escape mutations that are giving them an edge.
Experts also said that the sub-variants have also been infecting people who are already vaccinated or have already been infected with COVD-19, but no evidence is available to show if they are causing any severe disease among the vaccinated people, Geo News reported.
Amid fears of a new wave of coronavirus, experts advocated mask-wearing indoors in cities reporting cases that constitute over 5 percent positivity. They also stressed vigilant watch through good surveillance and testing, vaccination with emphasis on boosters and communication about rising risk, especially in urban settings.
