As the authorities in Pakistan have decided to restart the coronavirus rapid test (CRT) of passengers at all international airports to avoid the spreading of the new Covid-19 variant — Omicron, the country has recorded yet another eight deaths and 431 infections from the coronavirus during the last 24 hours (Friday), showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday morning.

As per the NCOC data, after the addition of eight new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,761 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,286,453 after adding the fresh 431 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Friday), a total of 47,084 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 0.91 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 858.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1466943383994200067

During the last 24 hours (Friday), as many as 189 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,245,344. As of Saturday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 12,348.

As many as 476,494 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 443,379 in Punjab, 180,254 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 107,848 in Islamabad, 33,491 in Balochistan, 34,574 in Azad Kashmir and 10,413 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,035 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,622 in Sindh, 5,858 in KP, 958 in Islamabad, 742 in Azad Kashmir, 360 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Corona rapid test

Pakistan has decided to restart the coronavirus rapid test (CRT) of passengers at all international airports to avoid the spreading of new variant—Omicron. The government feared passengers coming from abroad may cause the spread of Omicron in the country.

The government had now taken a decision of screening passengers fully coming from abroad after getting the final approval from the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC).

As per the decision, the rapid test would be administrated to the passengers arriving from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran and Iraq.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- No Omicron deaths yet -
Omicron has been detected in 38 countries but there are no reported deaths so far from the new Covid-19 variant of concern, the World Health Organization says.

The comment comes as the United States and Australia announce their first locally transmitted Omicron cases.

- Super-spreader party -
At least 13 people who caught Covid-19 after a Christmas party with roughly 120 guests in Oslo last week have been confirmed as having the Omicron variant, officials say.

More than half the partygoers have tested positive for Covid.

- Vaccine inequality -
The emergence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is the "ultimate evidence" of the danger of unequal vaccination rates around the world, the head of the Red Cross says.

- Switzerland drops quarantine -
Switzerland announces it is dropping 10-day quarantine rules for people flying in from countries where the Omicron variant has been detected, but stepping up testing requirements for visitors.

- Belgium advances school holidays -
Belgium has brought forward Christmas holidays for primary schools by a week to try to stem Covid infections, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo says.

- Booster jabs in Greece -
Greek health authorities say that anti-Covid booster jabs can be given to all adults from three months after their last injection.

- Hippos positive -
Two hippos in a Belgian zoo have tested positive for Covid-19, their keepers announce, stressing that the giant animals do not appear to be in danger.

- More than 5.2 million dead - 
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,233,111 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Friday. 

The US has suffered the most Covid-related deaths with 785,912, followed by Brazil with 615,179, India with 470,115, Mexico with 294,715 and Russia with 278,857.

The countries with the most new deaths are the US with 3,475, followed by Russia with 1,217 and Ukraine with 525.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the World Health Organization estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.

With inputs from AFP.