The single-day coronavirus infections soared to over 4,000 as Pakistan reported another 63 deaths during the last 24 hours, showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday morning.
With the addition of 4,368 new infections, the highest numbers since July 3, 2020, the number of positive cases has now surged to 645,356 with the nationwide tally of fatalities jumping to 14,091, after adding the 63 new deaths.
As usual, Sindh remained the worst-hit province by the pandemic in terms of cases followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.
Most numbers of casualties have been reported in Punjab. So far, 264,062 coronavirus cases have now been confirmed in Sindh, 207,765 in Punjab, 82,677 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19,427 in Balochistan, 54,347 in Islamabad, 12,095 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 4,983 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
As many as 6,142 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab, 4,486 in Sindh, 2,260 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 205 in Balochistan, 555 in Islamabad, 340 in Azad Kashmir and 103 in Gilgit Baltistan (GB). Pakistan has so far conducted 9,976,791 coronavirus tests and 42,418 during the last 24 hours (Thursday) with 591,145 coronavirus patients have recovered in the country whereas 2,758 patients were in critical condition.
According to data shared by the spokesperson of the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD), 1566 new cases were reported in Lahore, 11 in Kasur, 19 in Sheikhupura, 17 in Nankana Sahib, 126 in Rawalpindi, 4 in Attock, 9 in Jehlum, 1 in Chakwal, 58 in Gujranwala, 12 in Mandi Bahauddin, 7 in Narowal, 4 in Hafizabad, 72 in Sialkot, 61 in Gujrat,190 in Faisalabad,21 in Toba Tek Singh,8 in Chineot, 7 in Jhang, 45 in Sargodha, 4 in Mianwali, 3 in Khoshab, 5 in Bhakkar, 83 in Multan, 10 in Vehari, 3 in Khanewal, 2 in Lodharan, 5 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 33 in Rahimyar Khan, 17 in Bahawalpur, 8 in Bahawalnagar, 13 in Okara, 4 in Pakpattan and 20 new cases were reported in Sahiwal district during the last 24 hours.
In light of these numbers, the Punjab health department has urged the masses to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs), stressing the need to cover one’s face with a mask, to wash hands frequently, and to maintain social distance.
Lahore continues to witness a surge in Covid-19 cases as 1,566 new infections surfaced in the provincial capital overnight – the highest in ten months.
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) President Ashraf Nizami termed the 18 per cent positivity rate “alarming”. He stressed that the Punjab government needs to declare a health emergency in the province right away, calling for tougher restrictions to halt the spread of the virus.
