LAHORE: The positivity rate of Covid-19 remained 5.39-percent, as out of 15395 tests conducted across the province during the last 24 hours, 831 fresh coronavirus cases and 31 fatalities were reported taking the provincial tally of cases to 130,122 and death toll to 3522.

With recovery of 106 corona positive, the number of recovered patients has reached to 115,701 in the province. There are 15,590 suspected cases of Covid-19 in the province. As many as 2638 health care workers have so far tested positive of the virus.

On the other hand, as many as 3,261 coronavirus recoveries were reported across the country during the last 24 hours taking the tally of recovered patients to 399,852 with recovery rate of 88.6-per cent.

The breakup of cases and deaths in big cities of the province shows 63,601 cases and 1408 deaths in Lahore, 12,298 cases and 581 deaths in Rawalpindi, 8384 cases and 288 deaths in Multan, 7137 cases and 305 deaths in Faisalabad, 4271 cases and 95 deaths in Gujranwala and 2890 cases and 119 deaths in Sialkot.

Expressing concern over surge in corona cases and deaths in the country, health experts have urged the government to come up with a uniform strategy to stem the pandemic. There should be a uniform policy to be implemented across the country, they said, adding: "Wearing masks and maintaining social distancing are necessary to check spread of virus."

It may be added that Pakistan was negotiating with China, Russia and other countries to procure coronavirus vaccine, which is expected to be available in Pakistan sometime between January and March next year. The vaccine would be administered to health workers and senior citizens in the first phase.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020