Pakistan records 2,545 new coronavirus infections in 24 hours

NCOC data showed 7,993 new recoveries across Pakistan, out of which 6,952 were reported in Sindh

Web Desk

December 17, 2020

71 people died of COVID-19 in 24 hours
Sindh reported 6,952 recoveries
Positivity rate stands at 6.3%

Pakistan recorded 2,545 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours with a positivity rate of 6.3%, data issued by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) showed Thursday.

Grappling with a second wave of infections, the country has reported 448,522 COVID-19 cases so far. The number of active cases has dropped to 42,851 as 7,993 recoveries were recorded across the country with Sindh reporting the most recoveries at 6,952.

Government data showed that 396,591 people have recovered from the novel coronavirus so far.

The average number of coronavirus deaths in Pakistan has been increasing since the beginning of December. According to NCOC, the virus claimed 71 lives on Wednesday, raising the death toll to 9,080. At least 990 people have died of COVID-19 across the country in the last 16 days at a daily average of 61.18 deaths.

Comparatively, 337 lives were lost due to COVID019 in the first 15 days of November at an average of 22.4 deaths per day while October saw 137 deaths in the first half with a daily average of 9.133 deaths.

Bids to contain the virus

With the rising spread of the virus, the federal government on December 9 warned it would shut down more sectors if the public continued to violate coronavirus SOPs.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development and NCOC chief Asad Umar said there was a rapid increase in infections during the second wave as the public was less serious than it was during the first wave.

He warned that if the virus is not contained, the government may decide to close down more sectors and impose stricter restrictions in two weeks' time.

Current restrictions

The federal government has already made face masks mandatory in public spaces, limited large public gatherings to 300, banned indoor weddings, closed shrines, cinemas, and theatres, and instructed public and private offices to adopt a work-from-home policy and 50% occupancy.

The federal government has also announced that educational institutes will remain closed from November 26 to January 10. The students will study at home or get weekly homework till December 24 and winter vacations will start December 25. The schools will reopen on January 11 - which is subject to coronavirus situation then. All examinations have been postponed except admission and recruitment tests.

Furthermore, all provinces have banned indoor dining and limited timings for markets, shops, and shopping malls. Many areas in the country have been placed under smart lockdowns.

Public gatherings

With an intensely political environment, the country has been seeing large public gatherings aimed to remove the incumbent government. The Opposition recently held power-shows in Peshawar, Multan, and Lahore with thousands of people attending the jalsa but without face masks and social distancing.