Pakistan reported 7,678 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours on Friday, the most since the pandemic started in February 2020.
The country’s largest number of coronavirus cases occurred on June 13, 2020, when 6,825 infections were reported.
During this time, there were also 23 fatalities, and the national positive rate increased to 12.93 percent.
The number of active cases has risen to over 57,000, with 961 people in critical care, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
The research also revealed that Karachi has the highest optimism rate in the country, at 45.43 percent, followed by Muzaffarabad with 23.94 percent and Islamabad with 18.91 percent.
The following are the top six cities with the highest positive ratio:
45.43 percent in Karachi
Muzaffarabad has 23.94 percent of the population.
18.91 percent in Islamabad
17.89% in Lahore
17.47 percent in Rawalpindi
15.59 percent in Peshawar
The Omicron form of the coronavirus is to blame for the recent spike in cases, which has caused the country’s fifth wave of the disease.
In the meantime, the Ministry of National Health Services is urging individuals to get vaccinated and wear face masks. “We are seeing a huge spike in the number of Covid-19 cases this month as the Omicron version surges,” it said.
As part of new limitations aimed to combat the fifth wave, the NCOC outlawed indoor meetings, marriages, and eating in districts and cities with Covid-19 positive rates surpassing 10% earlier this week.
Pakistan has also begun to distribute booster dosages to the general public. Previously, those over the age of 30 and immunocompromised people over the age of 12 might receive a booster dosage. The NCOC later relaxed the age restriction, enabling citizens above the age of 18 to obtain booster shots.
The highly transmissible Omicron variety, according to Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy Dr Shahzad Ali Khan, is the explanation for the significant rise in the number of cases.
“It appears that Omicron has evolved and has become very infectious, as it can survive in the environment or in the air for longer periods of time.” The new form, however, has both positive and negative qualities. The disadvantage is that we will be infected regardless of our preparations. Those who have been vaccinated, on the other hand, will experience moderate symptoms and have a lower risk of spreading the virus,” he stated.
“Those who are not vaccinated risk developing serious symptoms and becoming a factory or producer of the next variation, which can be quite dangerous,” Dr Khan cautioned.
He warned that Omicron would strain all available health resources because to its extremely transmissive nature, and that it would be critical to ensure that human resources were available in hospitals and medical facilities to treat the caseload.
He also mentioned that Omicron had infected healthcare professionals severely, recommending that they be forced to wear N-95 masks and urged to avoid socialising.