Pakistan records nearly 3 pc COVID-19 positivity rate, rise in number of hospitalisation

Pakistan on Monday registered a positivity rate of nearly 3 per cent amid the recent surge in the COVID-19 infections in the country, National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) data reported. 

A total of 382 COVID-19 community cases were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, Geo News reported citing NIH, which is an autonomous body of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination.

The country continues to see an uptick in new cases, pushing the positivity rate further up. Pakistan's COVID-19 positivity rate stood at 2.85 per cent.

On Monday, 13,412 tests for COVID-19 were conducted in Pakistan, and the tally of the total cases increased to over 1.53 million after adding the new cases. The active caseload of the country stands at 4,632.

As many as 87 people are undergoing treatment in intensive-care units countrywide, the NIH shared.

A total of 30,390 people died from COVID-19 in Pakistan, with two more deaths recorded on Monday, according to the ministry's statistics. 85 per cent of Pakistan's population has been fully vaccinated. 

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Pakistan, experts said on Sunday that the country may potentially witness another COVID-19 outbreak.

Former DG Health and currently Lead Strategic Adviser of CDC-USA in Pakistan Rana Muhammad Safdar said that cases and positivity rates have more than doubled over the previous week, indicating rapid transmission.

He said that the rise is more marked in Karachi -- with 21.71 per cent COVID-19 positivity, and Islamabad -- with 3.45 per cent positivity, due to better testing and reporting but the risk is likely to be widespread, reported Geo News.

According to Safdar, the rise in the number of hospitalizations and admission of patients in ICUs may become evident from the next week.

Meanwhile, the health experts stressed on - Vigilantly watching through good surveillance and testing; Communication around rising risk especially in urban settings; Advocating mask-wearing indoors in cities reporting cases that constitute over 5 per cent positivity and vaccination with emphasis on boosters.

The step was taken after the emergence of a new sub-variant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus in the country, reported ARY News.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Health of Pakistan reported the first case of COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. on May 9.

This new sub-variant is causing an increasing number of cases in different countries, the National Institute of Health (NIH) had said in a statement. (ANI)