Receding Covid claims another life in Pakistan

The Covid-19 infections are gradually decreasing in Pakistan as the country logged 47 more cases and a fatality during the last 24 hours (Monday), showed the statistics released by the National Institute of Health (NIH) on Tuesday morning, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to the NIH data, the death toll in the country went up to 30,650 after adding another fatality whereas the number of total infections now went up to 1,579,861 after adding the fresh 47 cases.

COVID-19 Statistics 04 April 2023
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 2,946
Positive Cases: 47
Positivity %: 1.60%
Deaths: 01
Patients on Critical Care: 20
(shared by NCOC-NIH)

— NIH Pakistan (@NIH_Pakistan) April 4, 2023

During the last 24 hours (Monday), 2,946 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio receded to 1.60%. The number of patients in critical care stood at 20.

 

Japan to scrap virus tests on arrival from China

Japan will stop testing travellers arriving from mainland China for the coronavirus, the government said Monday, ending a Covid policy previously slammed as "discriminatory" by Beijing.

From Wednesday, arrivals from China will have to show proof of vaccination or a negative result obtained before departure -- "just the same as all the other travellers and returnees", a government statement said.

The decision brings to an end a spat over Covid border measures which began in January.

Then, more than a dozen countries imposed new travel rules as infections surged in China, which had just relaxed its strict zero-Covid policies.

In a tit-for-tat move, China suspended issuing short-term visas to Japanese citizens, with the Chinese foreign ministry hitting out against "discriminatory practices".

It resumed issuing visas to Japanese citizens in late January, but Japan kept its testing-on-arrival requirement for China.

Chinese tourists made up around a third of all visitors to Japan before the pandemic.

Last week, Britain also said travellers flying in from China would no longer need proof of a negative test from April 5.

With inputs from AFP.