The national tally of total active COVID-19 cases on Monday recorded 80,375 with 3,447 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 4,824 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.
Seventy-eight corona patients died during the past 24 hours, 68 of them were under treatment in hospital and 10 were quarantined at homes, according to the latest update issued by the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
During the past 24 hours, most of the deaths occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed by the Punjab.
Out of total 78 deaths occurred in the last 24 hours, 31 of them died who were on ventilators. The National Covid positivity ratio during the past 24 hours was recorded 9.12 percent. It may be mentioned here that the Covid positivity ratio was the percentage of actual positive cases appearing in every 100 tests performed to identify the infected individuals. According to John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the percentage of positive cases will be high if the number of positive tests is too high, or if the number of total tests is too low. A higher percentage of positive cases suggests higher transmission and that there are likely more people with coronavirus in the community who haven’t been tested yet.
The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Lahore 67 percent, Multan 69 percent, Gujranwala 79 percent and Peshawar 50 percent.
The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID patient) was also occupied in four major areas of Gujranwala 51 percent, Swat 44 percent, Peshawar 52 percent and Multan 61 percent. Around 652 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no COVID affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan.
Some 37,756 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday, including 14,486 in Sindh, 10,290 in Punjab, 8,180 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 2,816 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 1,057 in Balochistan, 295 in GB, and 632 in AJK.
Around 762,105 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients.
Punjab witnessed a significant drop in new cases of Covid-19 after the government imposed a set of restrictions to contain the third wave of the virus.
According to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, a total of 1,393 new infections were reported across the province over the last 24 hours. Whereas, 26 people succumbed to the disease. Of the total 1,393 cases, Lahore reported 501 infections while five people died from the coronavirus in the city. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Member Provincial Assembly Memona Basit Monday tested corona positive and as per the advice of doctors she quarantined herself at home. In a social media message MPA Memona Basit said that she has isolated herself at home after being tested positive. She appealed to people to adopt all precautionary measures including use of face masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing for the safety of all.
She further urged masses to remain at home on Eid holidays and avoid visiting public places. Dr Akbar Ghanghro, a senior medical officer who was infected with coronavirus while treating patients died, in isolation on Monday. Dr Ghanghro had been under treatment at a private hospital in Karachi since contracting the deadly virus.
Pakistan will receive another batch of over 1.2 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine under COVAX next month after receiving the first consignment two days back, it was learnt on Monday.
According to sources privy to the matter, Pakistan has been informed regarding the arrival of the second batch and it would likely arrive by next month to help the government in its efforts to vaccinate the population. “The exact date will be conveyed soon to the authorities,” they said. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan said on Sunday that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine will also be administered to people above 40 years of age in line with practices in many countries
