Seven days on, COVID-19 positivity rate in Pakistan still higher than 10%

By
M. Waqar Bhatti
|
Tariq Abul Hasan
|
Web Desk
|
A girl waits as a healthcare worker prepares a dose of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine to administer at a vaccination centre in Karachi, Pakistan, January 21, 2022. — Reuters
A girl waits as a healthcare worker prepares a dose of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine to administer at a vaccination centre in Karachi, Pakistan, January 21, 2022. — Reuters

  • Pakistan's COVID positivity ratio reaches 10.17% in last 24 hours.
  • As many as 5,196 new coronavirus cases were registered.
  • 15 more succumb to the virus, taking death toll to 29,137.


ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's COVID-19 positivity ratio remained above 10% for the seventh consecutive day, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) data showed Wednesday morning, with the government mulling over more restrictions for cities with high positivity rates.

The country recorded a positivity rate of 10.17% as 5,196 new coronavirus cases were recorded after 51,063 tests were conducted across Pakistan in the last 24 hours, NCOC's figures showed. The overall positivity rate and daily COVID-19 case count, however, has registered a minor decline in the last two days, as per the NCOC stats. 

With the detection of new cases, the number of total cases have jumped to 1.386 million, while 15 more patients have succumbed to the virus, taking the death toll to 29,137, the official stats showed.

The federal government, according to Geo News, has decided to control the COVID-19 situation before allowing citizens to get back to their normal routine and impose further restrictions in cities with a positivity ratio higher than 10%.


High positivity rate cities

  • Karachi — 40.91%
  • Peshawar — 27.99%
  • Muzaffarabad — 26.89%
  • Hyderabad — 26.54%
  • Rawalpindi — 13.09%
  • Mardan — 12.59%
  • Lahore — 11.30%
  • Nowshera — 10.89%
  • Islamabad — 10.59%
  • Abbottabad — 10.61%


No passenger allowed in airports without mask: CAA

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in a notification late last night, issued directions to the airport staff across the country to wear masks amid the rise in cases due to the Omicron variant.

Read more: Pakistan's coronavirus positivity rate over 10% for sixth consecutive day

The notification said staff members and passengers would not be allowed inside the airport premises without wearing masks.

'More restrictions'

Medics a day earlier told Geo News that the continuous trend of rising cases due to the Omicron variant has moved up the numbers of patients on critical care.

Meanwhile, officials have said that Pakistan might experience its peak in the first or second week of February.

"More restrictions are expected this week to control this situation," officials said.