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Coronavirus in Pakistan

street cricketer said:
The covid situation in Pakistan has always taken me by surprise, and I'm not saying it in a condescending way. I'm not a hardcore Indian nationalist holding anti Pakistani views by any means. Yet when I look at the numbers, it makes for interesting reading.

I've been saying for a long time that India has been under testing its population and doing only a fraction of the tests that western countries do daily. But when you compare it to Pakistan, India has been doing nearly five times more testing per capita and has been vaccinating its population ten times more per capita. Pakistan's vaccination rate is the lowest among India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and by some degree at that. Yet, India has been having nearly 3 times more deaths per capita due to the covid crisis, and Afghanistan has an even lesser death rate, 3 times lesser than even Pakistan.

I can only attribute the difference in numbers to the "smart lockdown" that Imran implemented way back during the first wave. But even that was only temporary, wasn't it (correct me if I'm wrong, Pak posters). Pakistan's test positivity rate is 10%, so it's not that there isn't a covid crisis in the country. Yet it's having way less case fatality rate per capita than countries like India, Iran and Turkey. I honestly cannot point out the exact reason behind it, but whatever Pakistan is doing currently, it's been working well. And hopefully it continues to so. Pakistan would do well to learn from our crisis and ramp up its health care infrastructure and vaccination rate though.
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nothing wrong with this post, spot on
 
Zeshan547 said:
Can any resident doctor shed light on why testing in Pak is so low? And who is to blame for it? And why the rate fluctuate so much? [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]
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The reason for the low rate of testing is very simple - the vast majority of people are reluctant to get tested because of multitude of reasons.

They still downplay the threat of COVID and think it is just like a regular flu and is vastly overblown. They don’t get tested because they assume that they do not have COVID or they try to hide their symptoms so that they are not forced to get tested.

A lot of people don’t get tested because of their kanjoosi. They would rather risk their and their family’s and friends’ lives but would not spend a few thousand rupees on getting tested and isolating themselves.

This is the major reason why the death rate has been so high in recent times. People delay getting tested and ignore the early symptoms and then they rush to the hospital when it is too late. More than half of the COVID related deaths can be avoided if people do not leave it too late to get tested or to get themselves checked by a doctor.

Once COVID reaches your lungs and you need oxygen, your chances of survival are almost slim. Most people rush to the hospital only when they developing breathing difficulties and ignore the earlier symptoms.

These days, it is better to be safe than sorry. Even if you develop the slightest symptoms, you must get checked + see a doctor + isolate yourself even if the test result is negative because it could be false negative. This is the only effective and practical method for curbing the spread. However, it will not happen because our people are too stubborn.

The government also needs to shoulder the blame because we have not seen any real leadership by Imran Khan and his government. The authorities have mostly failed and these gimmicks such as Corona Tiger Force etc. were useless drama.

Imran himself would downplay the thread of this pandemic for months and would label it as a normal flu in spite of all the warning from the WHO.
 
Mamoon said:
The reason for the low rate of testing is very simple - the vast majority of people are reluctant to get tested because of multitude of reasons.

They still downplay the threat of COVID and think it is just like a regular flu and is vastly overblown. They don’t get tested because they assume that they do not have COVID or they try to hide their symptoms so that they are not forced to get tested.

A lot of people don’t get tested because of their kanjoosi. They would rather risk their and their family’s and friends’ lives but would not spend a few thousand rupees on getting tested and isolating themselves.

This is the major reason why the death rate has been so high in recent times. People delay getting tested and ignore the early symptoms and then they rush to the hospital when it is too late. More than half of the COVID related deaths can be avoided if people do not leave it too late to get tested or to get themselves checked by a doctor.

Once COVID reaches your lungs and you need oxygen, your chances of survival are almost slim. Most people rush to the hospital only when they developing breathing difficulties and ignore the earlier symptoms.

These days, it is better to be safe than sorry. Even if you develop the slightest symptoms, you must get checked + see a doctor + isolate yourself even if the test result is negative because it could be false negative. This is the only effective and practical method for curbing the spread. However, it will not happen because our people are too stubborn.

The government also needs to shoulder the blame because we have not seen any real leadership by Imran Khan and his government. The authorities have mostly failed and these gimmicks such as Corona Tiger Force etc. were useless drama.

Imran himself would downplay the thread of this pandemic for months and would label it as a normal flu in spite of all the warning from the WHO.
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So in short there are enough testing kits but rate is low only due to fact that people are are not appearing for tests? can government force them somehow to test? But then again why per capita death rate is still so low in pakistan?
 
Zeshan547 said:
So in short there are enough testing kits but rate is low only due to fact that people are are not appearing for tests? can government force them somehow to test? But then again why per capita death rate is still so low in pakistan?
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No govt can force people in doing this. Its upto own consceince.

In India, in my personal experience, people avoid getting tested especially due to fear of the stigma. "oh, it's just a simple seasonal fever." I've heard this from many people last year.

People will ask for more testing (when they are not infected) but they won't get tested if they fall ill. That's the tragic truth.
 
Zeshan547 said:
So in short there are enough testing kits but rate is low only due to fact that people are are not appearing for tests? can government force them somehow to test? But then again why per capita death rate is still so low in pakistan?
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There was acute shortage of tests in Oct-Nov, but over the last 3-4 months, there is no shortage of tests. The reluctance of people to get tested is the only reason for the low rate of testing.

The government has used the shortage of testing kits as a face-saving mechanism. They are now going to do the same for the vaccines because the same people who are not getting tested are now refusing to get vaccinated.

Some say there is no vaccine and they are injected plain water, others say that this is an attempt by Bill Gates to change our DNA, some maulvis are warning the youth that the vaccine will make them impotent.

Others have declared that the vaccine is ineffective because Imran Khan got COVID one day after getting vaccinated.

This is the level of ignorance and jahalat in this country.

As for why the per capita death rate is low, the truth is that no one knows. The only possible explanation is that a very large percentage of the population has achieved herd immunity.
 
Mamoon said:
There was acute shortage of tests in Oct-Nov, but over the last 3-4 months, there is no shortage of tests. The reluctance of people to get tested is the only reason for the low rate of testing.

The government has used the shortage of testing kits as a face-saving mechanism. They are now going to do the same for the vaccines because the same people who are not getting tested are now refusing to get vaccinated.

Some say there is no vaccine and they are injected plain water, others say that this is an attempt by Bill Gates to change our DNA, some maulvis are warning the youth that the vaccine will make them impotent.

Others have declared that the vaccine is ineffective because Imran Khan got COVID one day after getting vaccinated.

This is the level of ignorance and jahalat in this country.

As for why the per capita death rate is low, the truth is that no one knows. The only possible explanation is that a very large percentage of the population has achieved herd immunity.
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So not much government can do I guess or maybe they can offer special passes or incentives to those who have vaccination certificate like allowing them to work outside, dine and have some outdoor travel and entertainment option etc. make compulsory for international travelers. And second question why Pak got away with such a low death volume comparatively to its neighbor India specially with worse health structure etc and not like government controlled it extra hard, so I think it's really hard to pinpoint how but we surely so far have defeated all odds, hope this miracle continues.
 
Zeshan547 said:
So not much government can do I guess or maybe they can offer special passes or incentives to those who have vaccination certificate like allowing them to work outside, dine and have some outdoor travel and entertainment option etc. make compulsory for international travelers. And second question why Pak got away with such a low death volume comparatively to its neighbor India specially with worse health structure etc and not like government controlled it extra hard, so I think it's really hard to pinpoint how but we surely so far have defeated all odds, hope this miracle continues.
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Afghanistan probably has very little health infrastructure in their country when compared to Pakistan, yet they have three times lesser death rate than the death rate of Pakistan. But at the same time, Afghanistan's neighbour Iran and Turkey have more than twice the death rate of India per capita. It honestly is bit of an enigma.
 
kabbirann said:
I hope and pray Pakistanis learn from India's experience and stay safe.
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Yup. We should have learnt from Italy, Spain and US's experience during the first wave and ramped up oxygen production at the very least, even if procuring new ventilators proved to be difficult.

Hopefully Pakistan isn't as complacent as we were. The world needs to fight this deadly disease together.
 
Unfortunately, this Eid might bring some very bad news for a lot of families all around Pakistan with their loved ones struggling to breathe in hospitals...

I'd be so glad to be wrong.
 
Pakistan reports 4,113 new coronavirus cases, 119 deaths

Pakistan reported 4,113 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 841,636.

The country's death toll climbed to 18,429 after 119 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 5,665 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 738,727.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 84,480.
 
1,038 new COVID cases reported in Sindh during the last 24 hours with 526 of them from Karachi.
 
The curve is showing a downward dip now. God willing this continues and no variant enters the country.

Good job by the government of PTI.
 
KingKhanWC said:
The curve is showing a downward dip now. God willing this continues and no variant enters the country.

Good job by the government of PTI.
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The cases curve has zero value when the already pathetic total numbers of tests keep going down.

The death rate is important metric and that’s at an all time high
 
Shiite Muslim devotees take part in a procession to commemorate the death anniversary of Prophet Mohammad's companion and son-in-law Imam Ali at the Bhati chowk in Lahore.

Source: Dawn News

181951283_10165387695770442_3495074676303482935_n.jpg
 
Punjab reports 1,906 new Covid-19 cases, 68 more deaths

At least 1,906 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Punjab during the past 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 312,522.

According to Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Care Department, at least 68 more patients succumbed to the pandemic as the total death count reached 8,809.

The department added that at least 262,555 patients had recovered from the deadly virus as of yet, with 2,314 people recovered in the past 24 hours.
 
Coronavirus update: Pakistan reports over 100 deaths during past 24 hours

At least 108 more succumbed to the coronavirus during the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 18,537 in Pakistan as the country grapples with the third wave of the coronavirus.

According to the official data provided by National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday, 4,198 cases were reported when 46,467 tests were conducted across the country in the past 24 hours.


The positivity rate of coronavirus cases have been recorded at 9.03%.

The number of active cases stand at 84,172, with the nationwide recoveries rising to 743,124.

Moreover, about 5,624 coronavirus patients are admitted to 631 various hospitals with 651 patients on ventilators across the country.

Punjab remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic, both in terms of cases reported as well as deaths followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

The highest death toll in the last 24 hours was in Punjab, with the province reporting 68 fatalities.

The government of Punjab has decided to impose a complete lockdown in the province from May 8 to May 16, owing to the increasing number of coronavirus cases.

As reported by Geo News, the decision was taken during a meeting chaired by provincial health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid. During the session, the government decided that all activities will be banned in the province on the designated dates, while public transport will be suspended and all recreational spots will also be banned.

The provincial government said checkpoints will be set up at entry and exit points of the city, where police, Rangers, and army personnel will be deployed to monitor the situation.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/348966-pakistan-reports-over-46000-new-coronavirus-infections-over
 
Pakistan reports 4,298 new coronavirus cases, 140 deaths

Pakistan reported 4,298 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 850,131.

The country's death toll climbed to 18,677 after 140 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 4,631 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 747,755.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 83,699.
 
Coronavirus: Malaysia announces travel ban for Pakistan, other countries

Malaysia has announced a travel ban on Pakistan and a few other countries where coronavirus cases have seen a rise over the last couple of weeks.

According to a notification issued by the Malaysian immigration authorities, citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal will not be allowed to enter Malaysia from May 8.

Senior Malaysia Minister Ismail Yakoob announced the conditions of the ban.

"The travel restriction imposed on citizens of these countries involved all categories holding long-term social visit passes, business travellers and for social visits," he said.

The minister disclosed that there were some exemptions to the ban as well.

"Exemptions are, however, given to holders of diplomatic passports and officials as stated in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. This category will be considered to enter Malaysia using the existing standard operating procedures," he added.

Following the announcement of the travel ban, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight has been stopped from flying to Malaysia.

The national flag carrier operates one weekly flight to Malaysia.

Last month, Malaysia had announced a travel ban on India as well, as the country struggles to cope with the pandemic.

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry had announced in April it would halt the entry of Indian nationals and passengers as well as implement strict controls for ships from the South Asian country docking at the nation’s ports.

Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong had said in a Facebook post that he has informed port operators as well as domestic and foreign airlines to comply with the decision by the government.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/349121-coronavirus-malaysia-announces-travel-ban-for-pakistan-other-countries
 
Pakistan reports 4,109 new coronavirus cases, 120 deaths

Pakistan reported 4,109 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 854,420.

The country's death toll climbed to 18,797 after 120 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 4,957 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 752,712.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 82,731.
 
MenInG said:
Pakistan reports 4,109 new coronavirus cases, 120 deaths

Pakistan reported 4,109 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 854,420.

The country's death toll climbed to 18,797 after 120 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 4,957 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 752,712.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 82,731.
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any news on the latest last day figure for vaccination - daily tests completed? not covid test, the vaccination jab
 
Last edited:
The closure of all educational institutions in Pakistan has been extended to 23rd May instead of 17th May. Next review will be held on 18th May.
 
Pakistan records 3,447 new Covid-19 cases, 78 deaths in 24 hours

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across country have reached 80,375

Pakistan recorded 3,447 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally for confirmed cases to 861,473.

According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), the country's death toll climbed to 18,993 after 78 more people succumbed to the deadly disease on Sunday. Most deaths occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) followed by Punjab.

Meanwhile, about 4,824 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 762,105.

According to the NCOC, the total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be at 80,375.

The highest number of ventilators occupied in the country was found to be in Gujranwala, at 78 per cent occupancy, followed by Multan at 69 per cent, Lahore at 67 per cent and Peshawar at 26 per cent.

The NCOC further reported that the highest number of oxygen bed occupancy in the country was in Multan at 61 per cent, followed by Peshawar at 53 per cent, Gujranwala at 51 per cent and Swat at 75 per cent.

About 37,756 Covid-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours out of which 14,486 were conducted in Sindh; 10,290 in Punjab; 8,180 in K-P; 2,816 in Islamabad; 1,057 in Balochistan; 295 in G-B and 632 tests were conducted in AJK.

Deaths

Out of the total 18,993 deaths reported so far, about 4,742 have occurred in Sindh; 9,058 in Punjab; 3,615 in K-P; 715 in Islamabad.

About 248 deaths were reported in Balochistan, 107 in G-B and 508 in AJK.

The NCOC also reported that a total of 12,228,427 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the virus. There are about 639 hospitals with Covid-19 facilities with more than 5,000 patients admitted across the country, it added.


https://tribune.com.pk/story/2299191/pakistan-records-3447-new-covid-19-cases-78-deaths-in-24-hours
 
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority announced on Monday suspension entry for travelers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka on all flights of national and foreign carriers, as well as transit passengers coming from them as 23:59pm on May 12.

The decision comes as countries take measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, cases of which have again been on the rise in several countries.

According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the suspension excludes transit flights coming to the country and bound to these countries.

This decision is applicable to the entry of travellers who were in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka in the last 14 days before coming to the UAE, WAM further stated..

Flights between these countries and the UAE will continue to operate, allowing the transportation of passengers from the UAE to those countries.

It will also allow the transfer of some exempted groups from the four aforementioned countries to the UAE, with strict enforcement of precautionary measures

The only exceptions are UAE citizens, diplomatic missions, official delegations, Golden Visa holders and businessmen's jets, reported the Khaleej Times.

The Khaleej Times further reported that passengers expemted from the suspension will have to undergo a PCR test no more than 48 hours before the flight. "They must undergo a PCR test upon arrival in the UAE," the report further added.

The exempted passengers are also to undergo a 10-day quarantine in the UAE, with PCR tests to be conducted on days four and eight of entry.

Express Tribune
 
Pakistan reports 3,084 new coronavirus cases, 113 deaths

Pakistan reported 3,084 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 864,557.

The country's death toll climbed to 19,106 after 113 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 4,387 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 766,492.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 78,959.
 
CAA takes notice of inbound travellers with 'fake' Covid PCR test results

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has noted with "grave concern" that passengers travelling to Pakistan — especially from Gulf states — have tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival despite being in possession of negative PCR test results.

"Upon conducting an investigation into the issue, it has been found that passengers travelled to Pakistan using fake PCR negative test results and endangered not only passengers travelling with them, but also undermined the intense efforts being made at the national level to curb the spread of Covid-19," the CAA said in a notification dated May 10.

"The onus of contributing towards this national cause does not fall on the authority alone but is a responsibility that has to be shared by all concerned stakeholders including airline operators," it said.

The authority directed all airlines operating to and from Pakistan to ensure that all passengers travelling to the country possess test results from government approved labs and that no test results be accepted without a valid QR code.

"Only original reports are accepted prior to checking in passengers for flights and no copies are accepted. Passengers not registered through the Pass Track App are not accepted for travel to Pakistan," the CAA directed airlines.

Policy for inbound travellers revised
Earlier this week, the federal government revised the inbound air travellers’ policy, exempting airline crew of local carriers on two-way flights — who do not exit the airport — from getting an RT PCR test done before travelling to Pakistan.

However, staff of local carriers on two-way international flights who do exit the airport will have to get tested before travelling to Pakistan.

According to the revised policy: “Airline staff of local carriers, employed on two-way flights with no exit from airport, are exempted from RT PCR test before travel to Pakistan. However, airline staff exiting airports abroad require a negative RT PCR test before travel to Pakistan.”

Passengers travelling to Pakistan from any country will be required to present a negative RT-PCR test report conducted 72 hours prior to the travel. Whereas travel from category C countries has been banned except for countries that have been given exemption by the NCOC exemption committee.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1623276/caa-takes-notice-of-inbound-travellers-with-fake-covid-pcr-test-results
 
Dubai just banned all South Asian countries.

This in spite of the fact that they never banned Britain during the UK variant time, and never did they ban Europeans or Americans when Covid was raging in their countries in winter

Pakistans ban is strange as the Indian variant is the excuse to ban, and Pakistan probably does not have people entering from India
 
Kuwait on Monday banned flights and barred entry to travellers from four countries — Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka — until further notice, state news agency KUNA said, as the emirate tries to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The decision by the Gulf state's cabinet did not include cargo flights.

To enter Kuwait from the four countries, people must have been in another country for at least 14 days beforehand, the statement said.

Kuwait last week it would ban citizens who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 from travelling abroad from May 22.

UAE to bar travellers from Pakistan

The development comes after the United Arab Emirates said it would bar entry to non-UAE resident travellers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka starting on Wednesday.

The UAE last month banned entry to travellers from India to guard against the spread of the highly contagious Indian variant.

"Flights between the four countries will continue to allow the transport of passengers from the UAE to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka," the Gulf state's National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) said.

The ban includes transit flights coming from those countries. Transit flights to those countries can continue.

UAE citizens, long-term residency holders - known as "golden visa" holders - and diplomats are not included in the ban, which comes just ahead of the Eid festival celebrating the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

To enter the UAE from the four countries, people must have been in another country for at least 14 days beforehand, the NCEMA said.

However, cargo flights will continue to operate between the four countries.

The UAE civil aviation authority also called upon all travellers affected by the decision to contact the relevant airlines to reschedule their flights and ensure their safe return to their final destinations without delay.

GEO
 
Pakistan reported 2, 869 new infections in a single day on Wednesday, taking the total caseload to 867,426 as the country reported fewer cases of the infection compared to a few weeks ago.

This is the first time in almost two months that Pakistan reported less than 3,000 coronavirus cases as on March 16, 2,351 new cases of the virus had been reported.

According to figures provided by the National Command and Operation Centre(NCOC), Pakistan carried out 38,616 coronavirus tests on Tuesday out of which 2,869 returned positive.

The positivity ratio in Pakistan stands at 7.42% of today.

The current active cases of the country stand at 76,536 and 771,692 recoveries are reported country-wide.

Punjab currently leads the provinces and federating units in most cases with 322,117, Sindh comes in second with 294,251 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 125,392 cases, Islamabad 78,560 cases, Balochistan 23,655 cases, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 18,056 cases, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,407 cases.

NCOC issues new guidelines ahead of Eid
With Eid just around the corner, the NCOC has issued guidelines to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The forum urged the nation to stand united and firm to support these steps undertaken for the well-being of the Pakistani people.

Last month, the NCOC had announced comprehensive "stay home, stay safe" guidelines from May 8-16 to curb the spread of the virus.

The NCOC had ordered closing Chaand Raat bazaars, shopping malls, public places, and recreational spots in this period. The ban on Chaand Raat bazaars extends to mehndi, jewelry/ornaments, and clothing stalls, the NCOC said.

GEO
 
TOKYO: Japan announced on Wednesday to ban flights from 152 countries, including Pakistan and India, a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan said.

The ban will come into place from tomorrow.

The ministry said the decision had been taken in light of the rapid spread of COVID-19 after several variants of the virus had emerged.

Permanent residents and people holding work visas will also not be allowed to enter the country; only Japanese nationals have been granted permission, the ministry said.

Kuwait, UAE ban flights

The development comes after Kuwait had banned flights and barred entry to travellers from four countries — Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka — until further notice, as the emirate tried to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The decision by the Gulf state's cabinet did not include cargo flights.

To enter Kuwait from the four countries, people must have been in another country for at least 14 days beforehand, the statement said.

Kuwait last week it would ban citizens who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 from travelling abroad from May 22.

United Arab Emirates has barred entry to non-UAE resident travellers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka starting today.

The UAE last month banned entry to travellers from India to guard against the spread of the highly contagious Indian variant.

"Flights between the four countries will continue to allow the transport of passengers from the UAE to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka," the Gulf state's National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) said.

The ban includes transit flights coming from those countries. Transit flights to those countries can continue.

GEO
 
Pakistan reports 3,265 new coronavirus cases, 126 deaths

Pakistan reported 3,265 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 870,703.

The country's death toll climbed to 19,336 after 126 people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 4,623 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 776,315.

According to NCOC, the total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 75,052.
 
Pakistan reports 2,517 new coronavirus cases, 48 deaths

Pakistan reported 2,517 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 873,220.

The country's death toll climbed to 19,384 after 48 people succumbed to the deadly disease.
Meanwhile, 4,123 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day, taking the total recoveries to 780,438.

The total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 73,398.
 
‘Cases of Black Fungus emerge across Pakistan’

Several cases of Mucormycosis, also known as ‘Black Fungus’ and “some deaths due to it” have been reported among Covid-19 patients at several healthcare facilities across Pakistan, infectious diseases specialists confirmed on Tuesday, adding that many centers were not reporting them as it is very hard to identify and diagnose this lethal fungal infection among patients.

“We have seen at least five cases of Mucormycosis also called, Black Fungus, among serious Covid -19 patients under treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the health facility. At least four patients died due to this complication. At least two more centers also have reported Mucormycosis cases among Covid -19 patients,” a physician dealing with Covid -19 patients at a tertiary-care hospital in Karachi disclosed to The News on Tuesday.

According to infectious diseases experts Mucormycosis is a lethal deadly fungal infection found in some serious Covid-19 patients with uncontrolled diabetes and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay. It is also found in non-Covid patients with similar co-morbiditgies and prolonged ICU stay, saying ‘Black Fungus’ affects the brain and lungs. The infectious diseases expert from Karachi, who requested anonymity due to sensitivity of the situation, further informed that cases of Black Fungus have been seen at least three hospitals in Pakistan while some people have also lost their lives due to lethal fungal infection, whose mortality rate is above 50 percent.

“This fungal infection mainly affects people on medications that weaken their immune system and reduce their ability to fight environmental pathogens. The Covid -19 patients already have low immunity and they are also given steroids so they become an easy target of Black Fungus,” the expert said. According to him, it a rare but dangerous fungal infection caused by a group of moulds known as mucormycetes, which occur naturally in the environment.

Use of steroids among Covid -19 patients, the viral infection itself and uncontrolled diabetes combined with long stay in the ICUs provide ideal conditions for the Mucormycosis to develop among patients, he said, adding that Mucormycosis were observed more in India and Pakistan due to their hot and humid climate. “It is the same fungus that grows on bread. The black one,” he explained.

“The Mucormycosis and other moulds including ,CAPA are also being seen among COVID-19 patients, which is Covid-19 Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis,” cause serious complications,” he said adding that spores of the fungus normally enter by inhalation and affect the sinuses and lungs. They can also enter through an open cut or wound and infect the skin.

Responding to a query, the official said several infectious diseases experts were informing each other about Mucormycosis among their patients from their centers but added that as it was not a ‘reportable disease’, authorities or epidemiological officials were not being informed about it. “This (Mucormycosis or Black Fungus) is a highly lethal fungal infection, Covid or non- Covid anyway, whose mortality is around 50 percent and we know that following Covid-19 chances of contracting fungal infection are very high,” he added.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/834117-cases-of-black-fungus-emerge-across-pakistan
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">According to available data, Pakistan is down to 61% of peak and cases are FALLING to 11/100,000<br><br>That’s good. Stay at it until case counts are <5/100,000 and speed up vaccinations <a href="https://t.co/psF8tb6OO4">https://t.co/psF8tb6OO4</a> <a href="https://t.co/FpmCAW6LTg">pic.twitter.com/FpmCAW6LTg</a></p>— Faheem Younus, MD (@FaheemYounus) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaheemYounus/status/1393064312353198087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Federal education ministry directed the provinces on Friday to ensure closure of educational institutions until May 23 to avoid a further surge in Covid-19 cases.

"Educational institutions shall remain closed till May 23 in view of the directives of the NCOC [National Command and Operation Centre] to deal with the third wave of Covid," read a communique sent to all provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan."

It added that the directives apply on all government, private institutions, seminaries, and vocational and technical educational campuses.

The ministry asked the relevant institutions to ensure that the directives are followed in letter and spirit

On May 8, NCOC – Pakistan's nerve centre to control the Covid-19 pandemic – decided to extend the closure of all educational institutions till May 23.

The decision was taken in view of the ongoing trends of the disease. However, a review will be carried out in the NCOC’s next meeting, scheduled for May 18.

Explaining the reason behind the recent restrictions put into effect by the Centre, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, who is also the chief of the NCOC, said that the government realises that the restrictions put into place are going to cause inconvenience. However, he added, they have been necessitated by the "extremely dangerous situation" created in the region with the spread of virulent mutations of the virus.

The NCOC late last month announced a new set of restrictions including a blanket ban on tourism and inter-provincial transport in an attempt to contain a further rise in already mounting coronavirus cases under the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” strategy.
 
Well done to the government for preparing for the wave and making sure that the right decisions where made at the right time. I really hope cases drop to how they were after the first peak.
 
embarrassing testing day 30,700.

1st vaccination jab - 119,338
2nd dose jab-11,709

all figures for today
 
Pakistan reports 1,531 new coronavirus cases, 83 deaths

Pakistan reported 1,531 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 874,751.

The country's death toll climbed to 19,467 after 83 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 3,042 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 783,480.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 71,804.
 
Pakistan reports 2,379 new coronavirus cases, 76 deaths

Pakistan reported 2,379 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 877,130.

The country's death toll climbed to 19,543 after 76 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 5,288 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 788,768.

According to NCOC, the total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 68,819.
 
No evidence on Indian coronavirus variant reaching Pakistan: health officials


The Indian coronavirus variant has spread to around 50 countries in the world and now declared a ‘variant of concern’ and a global health risk by the World Health Organization.
SAPM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan says there is no room for complacency currently as the positivity ratio is still very high in some cities.


KARACHI: There is no evidence to suggest that the triple mutant coronavirus variant from India or the B.1.617.2 variant has managed to reach Pakistan, say the country top health officials.

They said prevention measures such as reduced inbound travel, testing on arrival at airports and quarantine for those who test positive are in place.

“We have reduced inbound air traffic by 80% and we are asking all passengers to get tested before boarding while they are also being tested on arrival. We are keeping those testing positive in quarantine to ensure the variant dubbed as triple mutant or Indian variant does not manage to get into Pakistan,” Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan told The News.

Several health experts are urging the government to ban all direct or indirect flights from the United Kingdom as well as Gulf states to prevent the entry of B.1.617.2 or Indian variant into Pakistan, which has spread to around 50 countries in the world and now declared a ‘variant of concern’ and a global health risk by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We don't have documentation. Yet, to exclude anything in a country of 220 million is impossible,” Dr Sultan said when questioned on how sure he is if the Indian variant has not entered Pakistan.

Dr Sultan said Pakistan had approached Thailand’s health authorities through the International Health Regulations (IHR) mechanism to seek details of a family, who they had claimed contracted the Indian variant from Pakistan but added that so far the Thai authorities had not provided any details to Pakistan.

Health Director General Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar also said the Indian variant had not managed to reach Pakistan yet, but warned that it was ‘just a matter of time’ before it spreads to most of the countries in the world, including Pakistan.

He said the risk is "enormous" as the Indian variant has already spread to almost 50 countries, including our region. "The pace at which it is spreading is alarming. For all countries, it's just a matter of time," Dr Safdar said.

No room for complacency: Dr Faisal Sultan
Commenting on easing restrictions in the country from Monday, he reiterated that there is no room for complacency currently as the positivity ratio is still very high in some cities.

Dr Sultan said that educational institutions had still not been opened to reduce transmission in the country.

Responding to a query, Dr. Safdar, who is an expert of emerging infectious diseases, further said:

Cannot let our guard down: Dr Rana Safdar
We cannot let our guard down, Dr Safdar said, adding that all potential options of slowing down the transmission through strict enforcement of NPIs (non-pharmaceutical interventions) and creating strong immunity wall by quickly vaccinating all vulnerable populations gives us the best chance of life normalisation and a safer exit from the coronavirus pandemic.

He, however, claimed that a new study out of Oxford confirms current coronavirus vaccines work well against the B.1.617.2 variant.

“AstraZeneca and Pfizer doses still create enough antibodies to neutralize B.1.617.2 and significantly diminish the risk of hospitalization and death. Researchers found B.1.617.2 is not as vaccine resistant as B.1.351 (South Africa) and reacts like B.1.1.7 and P.1. (Brazil) variants,” he said.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/350459-no-evidence-on-indian-coronavirus-variant-reaching-pakistan-health-officials
 
Pakistan reports 3,232 new coronavirus cases, 74 deaths

Pakistan reported 3,232 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 880,362.

The country's death toll climbed to 19,617 after 74 people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 3,754 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 792,522.

According to NCOC, the total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 68,223.
 
heres a recent video by sky with matt hancock in regarding to why pakistan was added before india on the red list: - starts around 14.20 - 20 min mark

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Er3Y6TLpR0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
PESHAWAR: Twenty-eight passengers from Bahrain tested positive for coronavirus at the Bacha Khan International Airport on Tuesday.

The development is a worrying one as Pakistan, like many countries around the world, continues to grapple with the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The total caseload in the country has crossed 850,000 cases.

The airport's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Obaid-ur-Rehman Abbasi said rapid antigen tests were conducted on 130 passengers who arrived at the airport from Bahrain.

"The passengers who tested positive for the virus have been handed over to the district administration," he said, adding that various areas of the airport had also been disinfected after the development.

A day earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revoked a private airline's flight permit flying from Dubai to Peshawar over violations of the government's mandated coronavirus protocols.

The private airline flight had flown 24 coronavirus positive cases from Dubai to Peshawar on May 10.

Despite warnings, 27 positive cases were brought to Peshawar from Sharjah again on May 16, the CAA spokesperson Saad bin Ayub had said.

He had said the airline was ignoring coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) despite warnings.

Last week, Pakistan had allowed airlines to operate additional 30% of flights in a revised policy.

According to a notification issued in this regard, additional flights were allowed to ensure passengers were able to travel abroad without any hindrances, while only cargo flights of foreign airlines were allowed to return to Pakistan.

This is in addition to the 20% of flights that were already allowed by the CAA to operate in Pakistan, the notification had stated.

As per the directives issued earlier by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the number of foreign flights operating to Pakistan was reduced to 20%, keeping in mind the prevalent coronavirus situation in the country and the region.

CAA takes notice of passengers with 'fake' PCR tests from Gulf countries
A week earlier, the CAA had noted "with grave concern" that passengers arriving in Pakistan from mostly Gulf countries, were testing positive for coronavirus despite possessing a negative PCR test result.

"Upon conducting an investigation into the issue, it has been found that passengers travelled to Pakistan using fake PCR negative test results and endangered not only passengers travelling with them, but also undermined the intense efforts being made at the national level to curb the spread of Covid-19," said the authority, in a notification that was released on May 10.

"The onus of contributing towards this national cause does not fall on the authority alone but is a responsibility that has to be shared by all concerned stakeholders including airline operators," it added.

The authority called upon airlines to verify PCR tests, adding that only those from government-approved laboratories should be deemed authentic.

"Only original reports are accepted prior to checking in passengers for flights and no copies are accepted. Passengers not registered through the Pass Track App are not accepted for travel to Pakistan," read the notification.

Over 2,500 test positive over past 24 hours

On Tuesday, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said more than 2,500 people tested positive for coronavirus in a single day.

Pakistan carried out 29,801 COVID-19 tests, out of which 2,566 returned positive while 135 died from the disease.

Punjab currently leads the provinces and federating units in most cases with 328,775, Sindh is second with 299,913 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 127,224 cases, Islamabad 79,371 cases, Balochistan 23,931 cases, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 18,286 cases, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,428 cases.

The current active cases of the country stand at 67,665 and 795,511 recoveries are reported country-wide.

GEO
 
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Pakistan reports 3,256 new coronavirus cases, 104 deaths

Pakistan reported 3,256 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 886,184.

The country's death toll climbed to 19,856 after 104 people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 4,440 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 799,951.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 66,377.
 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1624532/ncoc-allows-staggered-reopening-of-educational-institutes-outdoor-dining-from-may-24

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday announced the lifting of a number of restrictions imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus in the country, including the staggered reopening of educational institutions in districts where the positivity rate is less than five per cent and resumption of outdoor dining.

Earlier in the day, the NCOC reviewed the existing non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in a meeting chaired by Minister for Planning and Development and NCOC head Asad Umar. The meeting was also attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health (SAPM) Dr Faisal Sultan, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho as well as all the chief secretaries of all provinces, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

According to a press release issued after the meeting:

Outdoor restaurants will be opened daily till 11:59pm while takeaway will be allowed 24/7 from May 24.
Tourism sector will be reopened under strict Covid-19 protocols from May 24.

Educational institutes in districts with less than five per cent positivity rate will be reopened from May 24.

Outdoor marriage ceremonies will be allowed with a maximum of 150 people from June 1.

Elective surgeries will be reopened from June 1.

Educational institutes in all districts will be reopened in a staggered manner from June 7.

All matric and intermediate exams will be held after June 20. All professional and non-professional exams
will take place on a case-to-case basis as recommended by the Ministry of Education.

However, certain restrictions will remain in place.

These are:

All shrines, cinemas, amusement parks and indoor gyms will remain closed. Tracks for walking and jogging will be allowed to remain open with strict adherence to SOPs.

Indoor dining will remain closed.

All contact sports, festivals, cultural, musical and other events will be banned.

All types of indoor and outdoor gatherings, including religious events will be banned.

Inter-provincial public transport will remain suspended on the weekends from May 22.

In its meeting, the NCOC also decided to reopen the Gadani and Misri Shah industries from May 20. The forum urged compliance on wearing masks and said broader lockdowns would be implemented with stringent enforcement protocols based on risk assessment.

Meanwhile, the current policies for inbound travel and Land Border Management would continue, the release stated.

The NCOC said a detailed review of the NPIs would be held on May 27 and June 7, adding that monitoring of disease prevalence and critical healthcare system was being carried out daily. "Necessary steps will be taken accordingly, whenever deemed appropriate to control the disease spread," the forum said.

Earlier today, Umar cautioned that while restrictions were being relaxed, there were still 4,500 Covid-19 patients in hospitals on oxygen. "If we immediately try to open a lot of things then God forbid, [it might happen] that we have to close everything again as we saw in the region."

He made the comments while speaking to the media after inaugurating a mass vaccination centre in Islamabad.

"We have to reach our vaccination targets," stressed the minister, adding that the quicker Pakistanis got themselves vaccinated, the sooner it would be possible for the government to lift restrictions and for "us to go towards the normal conditions that we want".

Umar said very "frightening scenes" had been witnessed in the region which were previously seen in Europe and the United States and thanked the people and administrative teams, police, district administrations and the NCOC team for working during the Eidul Fitr holidays.

"Eid passed safely and the little concern there was of disease spread at the time ... there has been a lot of improvement in that," he said, adding however, that "it is necessary to say that the increase in the spread of the disease has stopped but the disease has not been eliminated."

He again urged people to get themselves vaccinated, saying vaccine supply was adequate with more doses to come in the future and vaccination centres being opened all over Pakistan. Umar also called upon political leaders irrespective of party affiliation to take the lead in vaccination campaigns and own them.

"This is Pakistan's and the whole country's campaign, not any political party's campaign so it is my appeal to all political leaders to move forward and lead this campaign personally."

Umar provided details of the capacity of the inaugurated vaccination centre and said that 7,000 people could get vaccinated daily and it would have 75 vaccination counters along with 100 trained staff to administer vaccines.

A day earlier, data showed that the number of active cases of Covid-19 decreased by 25pc.

According to data, there were 68,223 active cases as of May 17, which was around 25pc fewer as the number had surpassed the 90,000 mark by the end of last month.
Click to expand...
 
Pakistan reports 4,207 new coronavirus cases, 131 deaths

Pakistan reported 4,207 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 890,391.

The country's death toll climbed to 19,987 after 131 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 4,171 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 804,122.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 66,282.
 
Pakistan reports 3,070 new coronavirus cases, 102 deaths

Pakistan reported 3,070 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 893,461.

The country's death toll climbed to 20,089 after 102 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 6,021 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 810,143.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 63,229.
 
Pakistan reports 4,007 new coronavirus cases, 88 deaths

Pakistan reported 4,007 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 897,468.

The country's death toll climbed to 20,177 after 88 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 3,712 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 813,855.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 63,436.

==

Canada extends ban on passenger flights from Pakistan, India

Canada has extended its ban on passenger flights from Pakistan and India by 30 days to June 21 as part of a campaign to fight Covid-19, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Friday.

Alghabra said Canada had seen "a significant reduction" in coronavirus infections among arriving airline passengers since Ottawa first announced the bans on April 22 as the number of cases in India soared. The move does not affect cargo flights.

"These ongoing measures will remain in place to help protect Canadians and to manage the elevated risk of imported cases of Covid-19 and variants of concern," he told a briefing.

As vaccinations pick up across Canada, the number of daily new cases has dropped by 25% since last week and it now averages around 5,000, deputy chief public health officer Howard Njoo told the briefing.
 
Pakistan reports 3,084 new coronavirus cases, 74 deaths

Pakistan reported 3,084 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 900,552.

The country's death toll climbed to 20,251 after 74 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 3,826 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 817,681.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 62,620.
 
Pakistan reports 3,060 new coronavirus cases, 57 deaths

Pakistan reported 3,060 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 903,599.

The country's death toll climbed to 20,308 after 57 people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 2,693 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 820,374.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 62,917.
 
Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio has dropped to the lowest level in 10 weeks as the country reported a 4.82% positivity rate today after 2,253 new infections over the past 24 hours emerged on Tuesday.

The country had reported an 8.5% average positivity rate during the last 30 days.

As per official figures provided by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the total caseload of the country now stands at 905,852 as of today.

About 813,855 people have recovered from the virus in the country so far with the number of active cases in Pakistan standing at 62,295.

Although coronavirus cases are decreasing across the country, Sindh is reporting a spike in infections resulting in stringent restrictions imposed by authorities across the province.

According to the NCOC website, the total number of coronavirus patients in Sindh has reached 310,557 while 4,936 people have died from the infection so far.

In Punjab, the total number of COVID-19 patients is 335,577 and 9,839 people have died so far due to the virus while the total number of patients in Balochistan is 24,638 and the death toll has reached 270.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded a total of 130,187 virus patients, with 3,970 deaths, while in Azad Kashmir, 18,852 people have been infected with the virus and 532 people have died.
 
Vaccination drive for citizens aged 19, above to commence from tomorrow
National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar announced opening Covid-19 vaccine registration for citizens aged 19 years and above from tomorrow (Thursday).

The minister termed the start of the vaccination drive for the age group as marking the opening of inoculation for the entire population.

"In today's NCOC meeting, we decided to open up vaccination registration for all 19 years and above," Umar said in a tweet.

"This registration will start from tomorrow. So now, registration will be open for the entire national population which is approved by health experts for Covid vaccination," he added.
 
Pakistan reports 2,726 new coronavirus cases, 75 deaths

Pakistan reported 2,726 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 911,302.

The country's death toll climbed to 20,540 after 75 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 3,901 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 831,744.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 59,018.
 
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has expressed satisfaction over measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the province and thanked the people for cooperating with the authorities in implementing Covid-19 SOPs.

The Covid-19 positivity rate has come down to 6.8 per cent from 8.63 per cent in the province. “If the support of the people continued with the same spirit, we will be able to contain the virus further in the province,” the CM said.

He made these remarks while presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Task Force on coronavirus on Thursday at CM House in Karachi.

The meeting was attended by provincial Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Minister Industries Jam Ikram Dharejo, Adviser law Murtaza Wahab and other civil and military officials.

The chief minister was informed that in the first week after Eidul Fitr, (May 15 to 21) the infectivity rate was recorded at 8.63 per cent and the fatality rate at 1.18 per cent. In the second week after Eid (May 22 to 26), the positivity rate dropped down to 6.87 per cent and death rate to 0.90 per cent. The chief minister said that the Covid restrictions have started producing encouraging results.

“The credit goes to the people who cooperated with the government, abided by the SOPs and the restrictions imposed by the government, therefore infectivity and fatality rates have come down,” he said and urged people of the province to complying with the SOPs so that the situation remained under control.

On May 24, 846 cases were recorded across the province with 15% detection rate and within 15 days, up to June 11, 2020, the number of cases increased to 3,038 and the detection ratio was recorded at 30 per cent.

Also read: Sindh Covid-19 restrictions to remain in place for two more weeks

The reason for that spike in the cases was the result of flouting SOPs. CM Murad said that it was the reason that he had taken some strict actions during Eid holidays which have proved effective in flattening the coronavirus curve.

It may be noted that on May 20, 2021 infectivity rate in Karachi was 12.86, and in Hyderabad it was 10.11 per cent and on May 26 it has come down to 8.34 in Karachi and 4.42 in Hyderabad. In the Month of May 26, some 307 patients of Covid-19 lost their lives, of them 24 (66 %) were on ventilators, 43 (14 %) at home.

It was noted that during the last 23 days, (May 1 to 23), Karachi District East has 24 per cent cases, South 17 per cent, Central 12 per cent cases, West 11 per cent, and Hyderabad 11 per cent.

The meeting was told that till May 25, around 21,618 passengers had landed at Jinnah International Airport and all of them were tested, as a result, 50 or 0.23 per cent passengers were diagnosed with Covid-19. Out of 50 patients, 26 have recovered.

At present, 66 patients, including 63 in Karachi are in critical care. 618 patients, including 496 in Karachi are on oxygen.

The chief minister, keeping in view the situation decided to continue the ongoing restrictions and Covid SOPs and the situation would be reviewed again on Monday. He also urged people to get vaccinated. “It is very important to be safe and secure, otherwise we will not be able to contain the virus here,” he concluded.

Express Tribune
 
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan continues to report a decline in coronavirus cases as the country reported a positivity ratio below 5% for the fourth consecutive day on Friday.

Sixty-seven more people lost their lives to coronavirus, pushing the national death tally to 20,607 as per the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) data.

The NCOC revealed 2,482 new infections had emerged during the past 24 hours, taking the total caseload to 913,784 across the country.

The positivity ratio stands at 4.8% across the country. The number of active cases have reached 59,018 with the nationwide recoveries rising to 831,744.

As far as the provinces are concerned, Sindh has reported 314,158 cases, Punjab 337,775, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 131,411, Islamabad 80,927, Balochistan 24,908, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,060, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,545 so far.
 
The first-ever case of a highly infectious coronavirus variant first identified in India has been detected in Pakistan despite a travelling ban on the neighbouring country in place since April, country's top government-run health institute said on Friday.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad shared results of whole-genome sequencing of SARS CoV-2 samples collected during the first three weeks of May 2021.

"The sequencing results confirmed detection of seven cases of B.1.351 (South African variant) and one case of B.1.617.2 (Indian variant). This is the first in-country detection of the latter strain," it said in a statement.

As per protocols, the statement added, contact tracing of all the cases is in progress by the Field Epidemiology & Disease Surveillance Division and District Health Office (DHO), Islamabad.

The NIH further said that the continued detection of global strains highlighted the ongoing need for observation of guidelines, usage of masks and need for vaccination.

After India's explosive outbreak of Covid-19 fuelled by the new strain earlier this year, Pakistan in April had imposed a ban on travellers arriving from the neighbouring country via the air, sea and land routes. However, in May, the variant was detected in Thai travellers who had visited Pakistan.

Health authorities in Thailand had confirmed the country’s first cases of the Indian variant in a Thai woman and her 4-year-old son who were put in state quarantine since arriving from Pakistan, according to Associated Press (AP).

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had earlier revealed that the variant has been found in dozens of countries all over the world.

The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant had been detected in more than 4,500 samples uploaded to an open-access database "from 44 countries in all six WHO regions".

"And WHO has received reports of detections from five additional countries," it said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic earlier in May.

Outside of India, it said that Britain had reported the largest number of Covid cases caused by the variant.

WHO has already declared B.1.617 – which counts three so-called sub-lineages with slightly different mutations and characteristics – as a "variant of concern".

It was therefore added to the list containing three other variants of Covid-19 – those first detected in Britain, Brazil and South Africa.

The variants are seen as more dangerous than the original version of the virus because they are either being more transmissible, deadly or able to get past some vaccine protections.
 
ISLAMABAD: Amid a steady decline in coronavirus infections, Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio further fell to 4.42% with 2,455 new cases reported on Saturday.

Pakistan has now reported a positivity ratio below 5% for the fifth consecutive day.

According to the latest data from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on its official web portal, at least 73 more succumbed to the coronavirus on Friday, taking the total death tally to 20,680.

At least 55,442 coronavirus tests were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours, out of which 2,482 came back positive.

In addition to this, 682,290 people have recovered from the virus in the country so far whereas the number of active cases stands at 58,857 as of today morning.

The provincial breakdown for coronavirus cases

According to the official portal, the total number of coronavirus patients in Sindh has reached 315,410 while 5,003 people have died so far.

In Punjab, the total number of COVID-19 patients is 338,377 and 9,960 people have died so far due to the virus while the total number of patients in Balochistan is 25,001 and the death toll has reached 273.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded a total of 131,775 virus patients, with 4,043 deaths, while in Azad Kashmir, 25,001 people have been infected with the virus and 539 people have died.

GEO
 
Pakistan reports 2,697 new coronavirus cases, 56 deaths

Pakistan reported 2,697 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 918,936.

The country's death toll climbed to 20,736 after 56 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 2,620 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 839,322.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 58,878.
 
KARACHI: Four more cases of the Indian variant of coronavirus (B.1.617.2) have been detected in Pakistan, taking the number of such cases to five, Sindh Health Secretary Kazim Jatoi said Monday.

All four people had returned from the Gulf and tested positive upon arrival at the Karachi airport.

"Three of them had come from Iraq while another arrived from Muscat," Jatoi said, adding that three belong to Karachi and one is from Ghotki.

They have been quarantined and tests of their family members are also being conducted, he said.

On Sunday, the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed the detection of the first COVID-19 infection with the Indian variant.

According to details shared by the NIH, the variant was detected in a 39-year-old, asymptomatic Pakistani individual, who was a resident of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and was returning home from a Gulf country.

The case was detected through the screening system put in place for international arrivals as he landed on May 8 and showed a positive rapid test conducted at the airport.

As per the government's standard operating procedures (SOPs), the infected individual was quarantined at a government facility where additional testing (PCR) confirmed the presence of an Indian variant of coronavirus.

The individual, however, only showed mild symptoms during the quarantine period and was allowed to go home. He has completely recovered from the virus and has completed the mandatory isolation with further advice per medical protocols.

Pursuant to the confirmation of the B.1.617.2 (Indian) variant, the investigation team traced his family and close contacts in the district of residence obtaining samples, all of which tested negative for COVID-19. The NIH team is further tracing back his potential contacts during air travel to rule out the possibilities of infections.

Appreciating the efficient screening and isolation system put in place for international travellers, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination has stressed airlines strictly enforce SOPs for travellers, including presenting a mandatory test report from an authentic lab in the country of origin.

The ministry has further urged the general public to strictly observe advised precautionary measures to protect themselves.

GEO
 
Pakistan reported less than 2,000 cases, with 1,771 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, for the first time in almost three weeks since May 14, taking the total tally to 922,824 across the country.

Last time the country reported less than 2,000 cases was on May 14 with 15,341 cases.

Seventy-one people passed away due to the infection over the past 24 hours on Tuesday, as per data from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The new fatalities have pushed the total number of deaths from the virus to 20,850.

The NCOC said that 3,447 positive cases had been reported after 1,771 persons were tested for the virus. The positivity ratio of the country in a single day stands at 3.71%.

This is the eighth consecutive day when Pakistan has reported a less than 5% coronavirus positivity rate.

The total number of active cases in the country has risen to 57,336. The NCOC said Pakistan has reported about 844,638 recoveries during the past 24 hours.

Read more: Pakistan reports less than 2,000 coronavirus cases in a single day

Punjab currently leads the provinces and federating units in most cases with 340,110, Sindh comes in second with 318,579 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 132,822 cases, Islamabad 81,257 cases, Balochistan 25,218 cases, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,250 cases, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,588 cases.

geo
 
Had my first dose of Sinovec today. So far after 8 years no symptoms are any change whatsoever thankfully, was very nervous about this being Chinese vaccine. Had to take it as kinda compulsory order as public sector teacher. Any of you had this vaccine, any signs to keep close eye on? Any side effects you had.
 
Zeshan547 said:
Had my first dose of Sinovec today. So far after 8 years no symptoms are any change whatsoever thankfully, was very nervous about this being Chinese vaccine. Had to take it as kinda compulsory order as public sector teacher. Any of you had this vaccine, any signs to keep close eye on? Any side effects you had.
Click to expand...

Are the vaccinations well organised, are the people that should be getting them at the front of the queue?
 
Bewal Express said:
Are the vaccinations well organised, are the people that should be getting them at the front of the queue?
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Yup very well organised and as professional as it can get in Pakistan. Have to give credit where due. Was kinda pleasantly surprised. Kudos to govt. And with our economy can't blame govt much for using cheaper Chinese vaccines. Will have to get second dose after 28 days. But one thing is teacher were given separate dedicated counters. General public had to wait little longer for their turn on center.
 
Zeshan547 said:
Yup very well organised and as professional as it can get in Pakistan. Have to give credit where due. Was kinda pleasantly surprised. Kudos to govt. And with our economy can't blame govt much for using cheaper Chinese vaccines. Will have to get second dose after 28 days. But one thing is teacher were given separate dedicated counters. General public had to wait little longer for their turn on center.
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Good to hear. I remember hearing something from AA from the PPP saying the same but he could have been treated well because he is a powerful politician. IA it keeps you and everyone around you safe. We are nowhere near out of the woods, May Allah keep PK and the rest of the world safe.
 
Bewal Express said:
Good to hear. I remember hearing something from AA from the PPP saying the same but he could have been treated well because he is a powerful politician. IA it keeps you and everyone around you safe. We are nowhere near out of the woods, May Allah keep PK and the rest of the world safe.
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Thanks for the nice words. It's just one of the biggest mysteries how Alhamdulilah Pak have avoided the worst of it considering all things. Hope it remains that way. But this time again without enough vaccination per per capita we are relaxing restrictions too soon.
 
Zeshan547 said:
Thanks for the nice words. It's just one of the biggest mysteries how Alhamdulilah Pak have avoided the worst of it considering all things. Hope it remains that way. But this time again without enough vaccination per per capita we are relaxing restrictions too soon.
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Say thanks to Imran Khan, this country would have been destroyed if we had PPP or PMLN in power. Not only we have so far done against corona but also the economy has grown.
 
King-Misbah said:
Say thanks to Imran Khan, this country would have been destroyed if we had PPP or PMLN in power. Not only we have so far done against corona but also the economy has grown.
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Nah its way more complex than who was in the government. We just got lucky somehow with the variants and the extent of spread. And iK the best he could. But for careless and ignorant nation like ours it's just a miracle his we have done so will on this front. We can't have full fledged and fully implemented extended Lockdown, nor we had health facilities of first world. If it spread like this Indian virus we would have been done
 
Zeshan547 said:
Nah its way more complex than who was in the government. We just got lucky somehow with the variants and the extent of spread. And iK the best he could. But for careless and ignorant nation like ours it's just a miracle his we have done so will on this front. We can't have full fledged and fully implemented extended Lockdown, nor we had health facilities of first world. If it spread like this Indian virus we would have been done
Click to expand...

Yes, Allah SWT has been kind but fell credit to the government too.
 
Zeshan547 said:
Nah its way more complex than who was in the government. We just got lucky somehow with the variants and the extent of spread. And iK the best he could. But for careless and ignorant nation like ours it's just a miracle his we have done so will on this front. We can't have full fledged and fully implemented extended Lockdown, nor we had health facilities of first world. If it spread like this Indian virus we would have been done
Click to expand...

It is complex but we also know a number of things- with limited resources PK has done excellently, the poor have been protected by the timely disimbursement of direct cash to most vulnerable through Ehsaas programme, you will know as well as I that most would have disappeared into Foreign bank accounts if these 2 crooked families were in power,
Also remember they wanted a hard lockdown so that we had riots as the poor starved, remember Billo and the Sindh govts pathetic attempts at the start and it was only IK that stood up and said no. As we didn't have a hard lockdown our economy has started to become quite strong and this has all been done by hardly borrowing a penny relative trillions every else.
 
Pakistan records 2,028 new cases

The country reported at least 2,028 new cases over the last 24-hour period. During the same time period, at least 92 succumbed to the virus.

At least 3,889 recovered during the previous day.
 
Pakistan reported its lowest coronavirus positivity rate in three months at 3.58% on Friday, according the the latest stats provided by the National Command and Operation Centre.

The last lowest COVID-19 positivity rate reported by the country was on February 28 at 3.02%.

As many as 83 people lost their lives to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, according to NCOC's daily coronavirus report.

The report stated that 52,859 coronavirus tests were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours, out of which 1,893 tests came back positive.

According to the official portal, the rate of positive cases of COVID-19 in the country during the last 24 hours was 3.58%.

The total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the country so far stands at 21,105, while the total number of cases is 928,588. Meanwhile, 856,005 people have recovered from the virus so far.

The country is reporting a decline in coronavirus cases amid the deadly third wave that has wreaked havoc, however Sindh is still reporting a spike in cases.

A day earlier, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho that said despite the efforts of the government, people are still hesitant to get themselves vaccinated.

The health minister, addressing a press conference in Karachi, said Sindh would ease restriction once people start getting themselves inoculated.

"The coronavirus positivity ratio in Karachi is still above 11%," Dr Pechuho said, adding that Sindh is yet to see an improvement.

GEO
 
Pakistan reports 1,893 new coronavirus cases, 83 deaths

Pakistan reported 1,893 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 928,588.

The country's death toll climbed to 21,105 after 83 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 3,431 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 856,005.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 51,478.
 
Three cases of the coronavirus variants first identified in India and South Africa have been detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial health secretary confirmed on Friday.

Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah said two patients had been diagnosed with the South African variant of the virus, while one was suffering from the Indian variant, which has been renamed Delta by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
 
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday reported a below 4% coronavirus positivity rate for the fifth consecutive day, showed the official data provided by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The country reported a positivity rate of 3.81% as of today.

The latest surge of 1,923 cases has taken the nationwide tally of reported cases to 930,511.

According to statistics provided by the NCOC, Pakistan has reported 83 fatalities after which the death toll reached to 21,189.

Read more: Indian, South African variants of coronavirus detected in KP: health secretary

In addition to this, 860,385 people have recovered from the virus in the country so far with active cases recorded at 48,937.

To date, Sindh has reported 322,350 coronavirus cases, Punjab 341,789, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 134,072, Balochistan 25,589, Islamabad 81,626, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,456, Gilgit Baltistan has reported 5,629 cases.

GEO
 
PM personally handling Chinese vaccine issue with Saudi Arabia, other countries: Sheikh Rashid

The minister, who was speaking to the media in Islamabad, told reporters that the prime minister had informed the cabinet that he was in talks with leaders of the respective countries on the matter.

Saudi Arabia is among the few countries that do not recognise vaccination certificates of Chinese vaccines despite the fact that the World Health Organisation has now registered at least two Chinese-manufactured vaccines — Sinopharm and Sinovac.

According to media reports, the vaccines recommended by the Kingdom for use are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.

Earlier this week, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar had announced that citizens intending to go for Haj this year, those working abroad on work visas issued by countries that did not recognise vaccination certificates of Chinese vaccines and students planning to go to educational institutions in such countries within a month would be given priority for the administration of Pfizer as its stock was limited.

The minister had also warned that countries not accepting vaccination certificates of Chinese vaccines would turn out to be a problem for the entire world if a decision was not taken on the issue at the global level.

“If every country makes it mandatory for visitors to be inoculated by their choice of vaccine [brands], the entire world would suffer,” he had said, adding that Chinese Covid-19 vaccines were the most exported brands in the world at present.

Expressing similar views on Sunday, the interior minister asserted that “Sinopharm is a very good vaccine.”

He further said that Pakistan fared better than other countries in the region in terms of vaccination and particularly compared the situation in Pakistan with that in India, where he said one would come across boards saying “no vaccination for seven days”.

“There is no board in Pakistan saying ‘no vaccination.’”

The minister also pointed out that more people were willing to get vaccinated now and previously, there was “propaganda against vaccination” in the country.

'Weak opposition'
Commenting on the opposition, he said he had never seen such an “incompetent … useless and weak opposition” in this country.

“I don’t see any opposition to Imran Khan.”

He further said the budget would be presented on June 11 and he was expecting an increase in the wages of labourers and pensions.

The minister maintained that “all members of the estranged Jahangir Khan Tareen group of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf will vote in favour of Imran Khan’s budget.”

Replying to a question, he said his ministry had put Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s name on the Exit Control List and the 15-day deadline to appeal against the decision had passed.

“While Nawaz Sharif managed to dupe us … we have stopped Shehbaz Sharif [from leaving the country,” he remarked.
 
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