Pakistan reports 86 deaths, 4,537 Covid infections in a single day as fourth wave takes toll

(Karachi) At least 86 people lost their lives while 4,537 new Covid infections were reported in the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) stated on Friday.

The overall coronavirus death toll has reached 23,295.

The NCOC said that the total number of recovered patients in Pakistan stands at 938,843 and the number of overall confirmed cases has risen to 1,024,861. The Covid-19 positivity rate in Pakistan stands at 7.79 percent.

Pakistan reports over 2,000 Covid-19 cases for third straight day

At least, 3,117 people are in critical condition.

Overall, Sindh province is the most affected region of the country with 377,231 infections, followed by Punjab which has reported 355,483 cases so far. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains third on the list with 143,213 cases. Islamabad recorded 86,945 cases, Balochistan 30,162, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 23,819 and Gilgit Baltistan has reported 8,008 new infections so far.

Covid-19: Pakistan records two-week high as lockdown restrictions ease

Meanwhile, the NCOC held a meeting in which the coronavirus situation was reviewed, especially the virus spread in Karachi.

The forum decided to take all possible measures to assist the Sindh government in combating the rising trend of the disease.

In addition, measures being undertaken by the federal government include ramping up of critical care capacity, oxygenated beds and vents, and availability of oxygen in hospitals.

The NCOC also decided to ramp up deployment of LEAs for the implementation of SOPs and NPIs.

In wake of the surge in Covid cases, the Sindh government is enforcing more restrictions and also reportedly mulling over a complete lockdown in Karachi and other major cities.

However, on Thursday, NCOC chief Asad Umar disagreed with the idea. He stated that instead of imposing a complete lockdown, SOPs-enforcement should be the priority.

Later, responding to his statement, Sindh Government Spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said that it is not sure whether Karachi would undergo a complete lockdown but it would be “something like that.”

However, he ruled out any consideration of the NCOC’s advice, saying the provincial government is not bound to follow the federal government’s line.

Earlier in March, the Covid positivity rate rose to above 10 percent. In April, it gradually declined and reached eight percent. Then again, the positivity rate started declining and in May it was reported lower than seven percent.

However, in June the positivity rate continued to decline and remained below four percent.