Pakistan saw a massive jump in its daily coronavirus infections as it registered about 50 percent increase in its cases during the last 24 hours with a positivity ratio racing past six percent amid the rapid spread of the latest wave of Covid-19 fuelled by the Omicron variant.

Pakistan reported 3,019 infections as compared to 2,074 cases a day earlier, nearly 50 percent more. However, the deaths were on the low side at only five during the last 24 hours (Wednesday), showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday morning.

The latest data released by the NCOC suggested that after the addition of five new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,992 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,312,267 after adding the fresh 3,019 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), 49,270 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio shot up to 6.12 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 651.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1481436109825581062

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), as many as 346 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,260,045. As of Thursday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 23,230.

As many as 491,743 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 449,843 in Punjab, 181,906 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 109,944 in Islamabad, 33,675 in Balochistan, 34,719 in Azad Kashmir and 10,437 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,084 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,691 in Sindh, 5,948 in KP, 967 in Islamabad, 749 in Azad Kashmir, 367 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Johnson pressed to resign -
Pressure mounts on Boris Johnson to resign as UK prime minister after he apologises after admitting to taking part in a party in Downing Street that broke the rules during the first lockdown in 2020.

- Omicron variant 'dangerous' -
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is dangerous, and especially so for those who have not been vaccinated against the disease, the World Health Organization says. 

- Djokovic admits 'errors' -
World tennis number one Novak Djokovic admits errors in travel papers to enter Australia and to meeting a journalist after a claimed coronavirus infection, as he battles to stay in Australia and fight for a record 21st Grand Slam title.

- France to ease UK restrictions -
Paris will announce an easing of restrictions for travel from Britain to France in the coming days, the government says, after sharply tightening rules in December over the rapid spread of Omicron.

- Clock ticks in Russia -
Russia -- which has the world's fourth-highest death toll -- has two weeks to prepare for a fresh wave of cases, President Vladimir Putin warns.

- Swiss slash quarantine -
The Swiss government slashes quarantine times and prolongs restrictions to control the Covid-19 Omicron variant, which it says could be the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

- Fourth jab for vulnerable Danes -
The Danish government says it will offer a fourth Covid vaccine dose to its "most vulnerable citizens", and re-open cultural institutions closed since last month.

- New Tunisia curfew -
Tunisia announces a new night-time stay-at-home order for the next two weeks in order to tamp down surging coronavirus cases.

- Airline sales plummet -
Airline ticket sales have fallen by 60.9 percent since the end of 2021, the International Air Transport Association says, blaming governments for having "over-reacted" to the Omicron variant by closing borders.

- Finnair cuts flights -
Finnish national airline Finnair says it will cancel 20 percent of flights in February after a spike in Covid-related staff absences.

- 5.5 million dead -
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,503,347 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Wednesday.

The United States has recorded the most Covid deaths with 842,322, followed by Brazil with 620,238, India on 484,655 and Russia 318,432.

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

 

With inputs from AFP.