Pakistan's coronavirus positivity rate jumps to 8.64%

ISLAMABAD: The coronavirus situation in Pakistan is worsening day by day amid the fourth wave of the pandemic as the country recorded a positivity rate of 8.64 per% on Saturday morning.

According to the latest statistics shared by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 4,950 fresh infections were surfaced over the last 24 hours after 58,479 COVID-19 tests were conducted across the country.

The NCOC said that the COVID-19 positivity rate has jumped to 8.64%, adding that nationwide death toll from coronavirus now stands 23,360 after 65 people lost their lives to the disease.

The number of recovered patients stands at 940,164 and the active cases of the country are 66,287, the NCOC's stats showed.

According to a province-wise breakdown, the total number of cases in Sindh has reached 380,093, 143,673 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 356,211 in Punjab, 87,304 in Islamabad, 30,289 in Balochistan, 24,145 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 8,096 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has announced a nine-day lockdown which goes into effect today.

According to the restrictions under the lockdown, government offices will be closed from next week, those who do not get vaccinated will not get their salary after August 31, vaccination cards of anyone roaming the streets will be checked, the export industry will remain open, all markets in the province will remain closed, but pharmacies will stay open and inter-city transport will be closed.