The positivity rate took a plunge as Pakistan registered another 278 coronavirus infections and two deaths during the last 24 hours (Tuesday), showed the statistics released by the National Institute of Health Pakistan on Wednesday morning, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

As per the NIH data, the death toll in the country now surged to 30,559 after adding the two new deaths while the number of total infections now stood at 1,567,147 after adding the fresh 278 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Tuesday), 15,803 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 1.76 percent. The number of patients in critical care was recorded at 118.

https://twitter.com/NIH_Pakistan/status/1562253768888143872

During the last 24 hours (Tuesday), another 464 patients have recovered from the Covid-19 in Pakistan and the number of total recoveries now stood at 1,527,393. As of Wednesday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 9,195.

As many as 593,016 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 520,097 in Punjab, 223,069 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 138,852 in Islamabad, 35,929 in Balochistan, 44,185 in Azad Kashmir and 11,999 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

As many as 13,602 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 8,218 in Sindh, 6,347 in KP, 1,030 in Islamabad, 793 in Azad Kashmir, 378 in Balochistan and 191 in Gilgit Baltistan.

 

India logs 10,649 new infections, active cases reduce to 96,442

India has recorded 10,649 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the country's cumulative caseload to 4,43,68,195, according to Health Ministry data on Wednesday. 
Currently, the country's active caseload stands below one-lakh mark, that is, 96,442 infections. The active cases comprise 0.22 percent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.59%, the health ministry said.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.62% and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 3.32%. 

A total of 4,37,44,301 have been recovered from the coronavirus infection in the country since the onset of pandemic, including 10,677 recoveries recorded in the span of 24 hours. 

According to the ministry, 210.58 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

So far, the central government has provided 200.21 crore (2,00,21,66,975) Covid-19 vaccine doses to States/Union Territories, of which, 6.16 crore (6,16,38,660) unutilized doses are still available with them. 

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It further went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

Chad makes masks, social-distancing obligatory as Covid cases mount

Chad reintroduced rules making it obligatory to wear face masks in public spaces and observe social-distancing as the number of coronavirus cases rises again in one of the world's least-developed countries, the health ministry said.

"In view of the epidemiological situation of the Covid-19 pandemic both worldwide and in Chad in particular... all preventative measures against disease, particular mask-wearing and social-distancing, must be adhered to," the ministry said in a statement.

Since the outbreak of the global pandemic in early 2020, Chad has recorded a total 7,417 cases and 194 deaths from Covid-19.

Last week, a total 33 new cases were reported in the capital N'Djamena alone.

The ministry said that vaccination "remains strongly recommended for the entire population".

Chad is ranked by the United Nations as the third-least-developed country in the world and suffers from very high rates of deaths in childbirth, with one child in every five dying before reaching the age of five.

The African Development Bank has said that Covid-19 "likely exacerbated poverty rates" in the landlocked country.

 

With inputs from AFP.