Coronavirus infections, deaths nosedive in Pakistan

The signs are becoming visible that the latest wave of Omicron-triggered coronavirus pandemic is dying in Pakistan as the single-day infections and fatalities are plummeting fast.

According to the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday morning, Pakistan has recorded 961 coronavirus cases and 13 deaths during the last 24 hours (Monday).

As per the latest NCOC data, after the addition of 13 new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 30,053 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,502,641 after adding the fresh 961 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Monday), 38,139 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio also dropped to 2.51 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 1,261.

Statistics 22 Feb 22:
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 38,139
Positive Cases: 961
Positivity %: 2.51%
Deaths :13
Patients on Critical Care: 1261

— NFRCC (@NFRCCofficial) February 21, 2022

During the last 24 hours (Monday), as many as 2,393 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,406,361. As of Tuesday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 66,227.

As many as 564,895 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 499,365 in Punjab, 215,087 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 133,936 in Islamabad, 35,284 in Balochistan, 42,684 in Azad Kashmir and 11,390 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,461 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 8,030 in Sindh, 6,210 in KP, 1,005 in Islamabad, 784 in Azad Kashmir, 374 in Balochistan and 189 in Gilgit Baltistan.

 

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- England scraps isolation - 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive Covid test in England will end on Thursday, along with all other pandemic legal curbs.

Access to free home testing kits will also cease from April 1, he adds.

- Canadian emergency 'not over' -

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defends his use of emergency powers to end weeks-long trucker-led protests over Covid restrictions, warning; "This state of emergency is not over."

- Vaccine pass for Hong Kong -

Hong Kong will launch a vaccine pass scheme this week, officials say, as hospitals struggle under an Omicron-fuelled outbreak and the finance hub sees record-high departures.

- Djokovic is back -

Novak Djokovic's season, derailed in January when the world number one was deported from Australia before the Open, finally starts in Dubai.

- More than 5.8 million dead -

Coronavirus has killed at least 5,884,689 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Monday.

The United States has recorded the most Covid deaths with 935,335, followed by Brazil with 644,286 and India with 512,109.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates the true death toll could be two to three times higher.

With inputs from AFP.