Pakistan’s daily coronavirus case load stayed over 1,500 for the fourth consecutive day after the country reported 1,828 new cases on Saturday.
Another 35 people died of coronavirus in the country on Saturday, pushing the national death tally since the pandemic started to 22,555. Latest data issued by the National Command and Operation Centre Saturday showed that after 48,134 tests were conducted on July 9, 1,828 people tested positive for coronavirus. Pakistan’s positivity rate is closing in on 4%, with the current rate stands at 3.79%.
The total active Covid-19 cases in Pakistan are currently 36,454.
According to a province-wise breakdown, the total cases reported in Sindh so far are 345,269, in Punjab 347,793, in Khyber Paktunkhwa 139,162, in Islamabad Capital Territory 83,513, in Balochistan 27,863, in Gilgit-Baltistan 6,769 and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir 20,935. At least 912,295 people have recovered so far across Pakistan, making it a significant count. According to NCOC’s figures, the total number of cases has reached 971,304.
Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar has rejected the possibility of a complete lockdown in case Pakistan experiences a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The minister, speaking at the oath taking ceremony of the newly appointed members of the National Youth Council (NYC), said he fears that the fourth wave of the virus will start in July. He, however, said Pakistan will impose smart lockdowns across the country, as it had done before, to counter the virus, in case cases of the infection once again shoot up across the country. He added that the strategy had proven effective in stemming the spread of the virus in the past.
A day earlier, Asad Umar said that there are clear early signs of fourth wave of coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan, which the artificial intelligence models had suggested earlier. In a tweet, the federal minister said that two weeks back he had tweeted that country’s artificial intelligence models were showing possible emergence of fourth wave and now there are clear early signs which show it has started.
The NCOC had on Friday announced that unvaccinated people will not be allowed to travel by air starting August 1. In its review of the measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, particularly in view of the impending spread of the Delta variant, which it termed ‘extremely dangerous’, the NCOC also declared it mandatory for adult students to get themselves vaccinated by August 31.
The NCOC had said that in view of the “extremely dangerous” Delta (Indian) variant of coronavirus, vaccinations must be ramped up, and provided July 31 as the deadline for workers to get inoculated. According to a statement by the forum, Delta variant cases had emerged in Pakistan and there is a possibility that these would lead to a fourth coronavirus wave.
The NCOC warned of a ban on tourist spots if cases continue to rise. “Visitors to tourist spots aged 30 and above will not be allowed without a vaccination certificate. Moreover, hotel bookings are prohibited without vaccination certificates,” it added.
