Lahore/Islamabad/Karachi (Staff Report/Agencies): Pakistan’s Covid-19 positivity ratio has surged by 8.16 percent as the country reported the highest number of cases since August 25, 2021.
According to the National Command and Operation’s Centre (NCOC), Pakistan’s overall cases have reached 1.32 million after the detection of new infections, while the death toll now stands at 29,003.
Pakistan reported four Covid-19 related deaths and 4,286 positive cases as at least 52,522 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.
The breakdown is as follows:
Sindh: 3,089 cases
Punjab: 722 cases, 2 deaths
Islamabad: 354 cases, 1 death
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 104 cases, 1 death
Balochistan: 2 cases
Gilgit-Baltistan: 2 cases
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 13 cases
The NCOC had also announced all citizens above 18 years can get the coronavirus vaccine's booster jab, as the Omicron variant pushes infections across the country.
The free booster dose will be administered to people after a six-month gap from when their vaccination was completed.
Meanwhile, Chairman Pakistan Science and Technology Task Force, Prof Dr Ata ur Rehman has warned that Omicron variant can have lethal effect on unvaccinated people.
In an interview, he said unvaccinated population should immediately get themselves vaccinated against the virus.
Dr Rehman said the Omicron variant is spreading fast in various areas of Karachi and there is need to take serious measures to contain its spread.