Karachi: Pakistan continued to witness a surge in coronavirus cases as it registered the highest number of daily cases since May 29, while the national positivity ratio also shot past 5% for the first time since May 23.
This is the first time since May that the country reported more than 2,500 Covid-19 cases on a daily basis. On June 2, the country reported 2,028 new Covid-19 cases, while on May 29 it recorded 2,697 infections.
The country also reported positivity rate at 5.2% during the last 24 hours. The last time the national positivity rate crossed 5% was on May 23 when it stood at 5.21%.
During the last 24 hours, 48,910 tests were conducted across the country, out of which 2,545 came out positive.
Overall, there are 2,336 critical cases and 42,330 active Covid-19 cases. The latest data by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) shows that with 47 new fatalities from the virus, the national death tally has climbed to 22,689.
Pakistan records highest Covid-19 positivity since May 29
In a tweet on Thursday, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said that there was a rapid build-up starting to take place in the hospital inflow of coronavirus patients. He further said that the Delta variant has caused devastation in countries in the region, urging people to take precautions and get themselves vaccinated.
"Do not risk your own & others lives," the minister appealed.
Meanwhile, 1,030 patients also recovered from the virus in 24 hours. So far, Pakistan has reported 916,373 recoveries. The total cases reported in Sindh are 351,006, in Punjab 349,111, in Balochistan 28,588, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 139,960, in Islamabad Capital Territory 84,083, in Gilgit-Baltistan 7,163 and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir 21,481.
As the county witnesses the surge in coronavirus cases, the Sindh government also decided to shut down primary and secondary schools. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah ordered that all educational institutions except those having examinations will also be closed from Friday.
Sindh decides to shut educational institutions, stop indoor dining
The provincial government has also decided to ban indoor dining from today (Thursday). It has also decided to close cinemas, indoor gyms and indoor sports facilities.