Pakistan reports two coronavirus deaths, 514 infections

With the everyday infections and fatalities are now on the path of constant receding, Pakistan has lowered its guard against the latest wave of the coronavirus pandemic with the country reporting only two deaths and 514 cases during the last 24 hours (Wednesday), reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

All the regions in Pakistan except Punjab and Islamabad registered no Covid-19 death during the last 24 hours. The two recorded during the last day (Wednesday) were Punjab and Islamabd, showing Covid-19 pandemic is on its way out.

Taking the cue, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had announced Wednesday to scrap all kind of coronavirus-related restrictions across the country except mandatory vaccination.

As per the latest NCOC data, after the addition of two new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 30,319 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,520,634 after adding the fresh 514 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), 38,595 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 1.33 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 546.

Statistics 17 Mar 22:
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 38,595
Positive Cases: 514
Positivity %: 1.33%
Deaths :2
Patients on Critical Care: 546

— NFRCC (@NFRCCofficial) March 17, 2022

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), as many as 537 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,472,828. As of Thursday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 17,487.

As many as 572,868 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 504,142 in Punjab, 218,433 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 134,887 in Islamabad, 35,453 in Balochistan, 43,200 in Azad Kashmir and 11,651 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,541 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 8,091 in Sindh, 6,306 in KP, 1,022 in Islamabad, 790 in Azad Kashmir, 378 in Balochistan and 191 in Gilgit Baltistan.

NCOC lifts restrictions

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) head Asad Umar had announced to scrap all kind of coronavirus-related restrictions across the country except mandatory vaccination as the number of everyday infections has come down significantly.

Asad Umar said that inoculation drives for citizens would be continued and all other restrictions have been rolled back. 

The minister said that 70 percent of people have completed their vaccination and 87 percent of people of 12 years and above have received their first dose of vaccine.

 

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- WHO sounds alarm - 

The World Health Organization voices alarm that registered Covid cases are once again rising globally, despite testing levels having dropped significantly.

After falling for weeks, reported Covid cases rose globally by eight percent last week, it says.

- China Omicron outbreak spreads -

China reports 3,290 new cases from an Omicron-led coronavirus outbreak that has put 30 million under lockdown and moves to free up hospital beds amid fears for its health system.

- Hong Kong morgues overflow -

Hong Kong's morgues run out of space from a deadly Omicron surge, with bodies of coronavirus victims being carted into refrigerated shipping containers and the city's remaining 300 coffins expected to be gone by the weekend.

- IP rights breakthrough -

The World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala hails a breakthrough between the EU, the United States, India and South Africa on waiving intellectual property rights on Covid vaccines, but warns some of the details still need to be fleshed out.

- Israel records new variant -

Israel's health ministry says it has recorded two cases of a new variant, but which officials say they are not unduly worried about.

The strain, combining two sub-variants of the Omicron version of the Covid-19 virus, was recorded during PCR tests on two passengers arriving at Israel's Ben Gurion airport.

- Second booster for US over 65s? -

Pfizer and BioNTech announce they have asked the US drug regulator for emergency approval of a second booster shot of their Covid vaccine for people aged 65 and older.

- Six million dead -

Coronavirus has killed at least 6,050,440 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on Wednesday.

The US has recorded the most Covid deaths with 966,470, followed by Brazil on 655,585 and India with 516,072.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid, the WHO estimates the true death toll could be two to three times higher.

With inputs from AFP.