ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has recorded more than 7,000 new COVID-19 infections for the first time on Friday as it battles a devastating fifth wave fueled by the Omicron variant.
According to the latest statistics from National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), at least 7,678 new cases were reported in the previous 24 hours taking the country’s total toll to 1,353,479.
At least 23 people lost their lives amid the fifth wave of the novel coronavirus while the national Covid positivity ratio jumped to 12.93 percent. In the alarming trend, the overall death toll has now surged to 29,065.
Statistics 21 Jan 22:
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 59,343
Positive Cases: 7678
Positivity %: 12.93%
Deaths :23
Patients on Critical Care: 961— NFRCC (@NFRCCofficial) January 21, 2022
Pakistan conducted a total of 59,343 cases in the last 24 hours. The number of patients in critical care was 961. Around 814 patients have recovered from the virus and the total recoveries stood at 1,266,479.
As many as 516,874 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 458,879 in Punjab, 183,403 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 115,047 in Islamabad, 33,812 in Balochistan, 34,997 in Azad Kashmir, and 10,467 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
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Moreover, 13,096 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,727 in Sindh, 5,568 in KP, 971 in Islamabad, 749 in Azad Kashmir, 367 in Balochistan, and 187 in Gilgit Baltistan.
Earlier, authorities have placed new restrictions on gatherings and in some schools in major cities in a bid to control the rapidly rising cases of the country’s fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The restrictions, which include a ban on indoor gatherings and any indoor dining at restaurants, came into effect on Thursday, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which is coordinating the government’s coronavirus response, said in a statement.