Covid rate climbs to 2.81%

Karachi’s positivity rate touches 21.71%

Coronavirus continues to rise in the country with cases hitting 2.81% and two people dying of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, according to data released by the National Institute of Health (NIH) on Sunday.

According to the NIH, 406 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total tally in the country to 1,533,453.  A day earlier, 435 cases were reported — the highest number since March 22.

It further disclosed that the number of patients undergoing treatment in intensive care is increasing, reaching 94 across the country, up from 87 a day earlier.

A total of 14,496 people have been tested for Covid-19 across the country in the last 24 hours.

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The NIH said the number of positive cases in Sindh had been steadily increasing. In Karachi, 949 tests for detection of the virus were conducted during the last 24 hours. The positivity rate in the commercial hub of Pakistan turned out to be at 21.71% — the highest in the country.

This was followed by Mardan with 8.77% and Hyderabad at 8.51%.

Islamabad’s positivity rate stood at 3.45%, followed by Peshawar’s at 3%.

The positivity rate stood at 2.82% in Lahore, while in Gujarat, it was recorded at 1.82%. In Rawalpindi, it stood at 1.64%.

With the two fresh deaths, the death toll in the country this month has hit five. Earlier, three people had died due to the virus — three people on June 9 and one on June 15. The overall death toll in the country now stands at 30,387, according to official data.

The sub-variants of Omicron variant of Covid-19 are accounting for most of the new cases.

Health authorities have advised people to restart following precautionary measures such as wearing facemasks, sanitising hands, and maintaining social distance to prevent another outbreak of the pandemic.

A member of the Scientific Task Force on Covid-19 explained that the immunity level among people was decreasing and the efficacy of vaccines, which was once 95%, had fallen to around 80-85% as the virus was continuously mutating.

He added that vaccines were losing their efficacy even though they were the only protection against Covid-19

“People should go for vaccination and those who were already immunised should get booster shots.”

He said the country would face similar situations for a few years, adding that restrictions should be imposed once again as they would not only bring cases down but also help overcome the prevailing energy crisis.

(With input from agencies)