COVID-19 out of control in Karachi as positivity rate tops 20%

KARACHI: The COVID-19 situation in Karachi is spinning out of control amid the fifth wave of the pandemic as the positive rate in the country’s financial hub reached 20.22% Wednesday morning.

As per the latest statistics, 6,048 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the city and out of which 1,223 returned positive. In 95% of the positive cases, Omicron is being confirmed, said the report.

Meanwhile, Lahore’s COVID-19 positivity rate has surged to 7%, Islamabad’s 4.5% and Rawalpindi’s 4%.  

Pakistan records highest daily COVID-19 cases

According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), Pakistan has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections — 2,074 — in the last 24 hours since September 24, 2021, more than three months ago 

Following the detection of new cases, the positivity ratio has reached 4.70% and overall infections have jumped past 1.309 million, while the recovery ratio stands at 96.2% as 1.26 million people have recovered from the virus, data from the NCOC showed today morning. 

Pakistan also registered 13 deaths in the last 24 hours, the highest since December 15, 2021, pushing the death toll to 28,987, official figures showed.

The country's partial vaccinations, as of Tuesday, moved up to 163.65 million after 811,901 more people received the jab, according to the NCOC.

Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, Karachi's coronavirus positivity ratio has moved past 20.22%, with the Sindh Health Department mulling over a 14-day "special vaccination programme" in several cities of Sindh