As many as 2,412 fresh COVID-19 cases surface in megacity overnight, pushing positivity ratio over 39%
KARACHI: The coronavirus positivity ratio in Pakistan's biggest city is about to touch 40%, as Karachi reported 2,412 fresh cases overnight.
The new infections were detected after 6,124 diagnostic tests were conducted in the last 24 hours,
According to health department officials, Karachi's positivity ratio jumped to 39.39% from 35% within the same duration.
Meanwhile, federal health officials told Geo News that they expected the situation in Karachi to change in the coming week as the positivity ratio might hit 50%, leading to an increase in hospitalisations.
The officials also said that daily cases were expected to shoot up to 6,000.
Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah had called a meeting of the provincial government on Saturday to discuss the COVID-19 situation in Karachi, Geo News reported.
According to sources, members of the COVID-19 task force, the Sindh Health Department, and coronavirus specialists were to attend the meeting to talk about the ongoing situation in the city.
Separately, speaking to journalists in Karachi, CM Shah had also said the decision to impose a lockdown and close educational institutions will be taken in line with the NCOC's recommendations.
CM Shah had said that the coronavirus cases were spreading at a rapid pace, but the situation was under control as hospitalisations and patients in intensive care units (ICU) in the port city were less.
The NCOC had also announced all citizens above 18 years can get the coronavirus vaccine's booster jab, as the Omicron variant pushes infections across the country.
The free booster dose will be administered to people after a six-month gap from when their vaccination was completed.