Pakistan is bracing for what has been described as the country’s fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with the number of fresh daily Covid-19 cases registering a three-fold rise over the corresponding figures from just three weeks ago.
The country’s ministry of national health services on Sunday put the number of those who tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours at 1,980, while the number of those who succumbed to the viral disease in the same duration was recorded at 27. In contrast, three weeks ago, on June 21, the new daily caseload stood at just 663. In another concerning development, the positivity rate crossed 4 per cent for the first time since May 31 when it was at 4.05 per cent.
According to the health ministry, Pakistan’s confirmed tally of Covid-19 infections has reached 9,73,824 of which 22,582 cases have resulted in deaths. The official data also shows that 9,13,203 people have recovered from the infection, while more than 2,100 people are still in a critical condition.
Health experts have attributed this sudden uptick in cases to the reopening of the business and tourism sectors and have urged the government to announce a lockdown so that the festival of Eid al-Adha can be observed in accordance with pandemic-related restrictions. The government has also come under fire for holding board examinations of secondary and higher secondary students, despite warnings from Opposition parties, and protests by students. Going ahead with the examinations, health experts have warned, could lead to a further spike in fresh daily infections.
However, according to reports, the Pakistan government is banking on its vaccination drive to prevent any further surge in Covid-19 cases. The government says it has administered more than 19 million doses of anti-Covid vaccines and has been urging people to get themselves inoculated at the earliest.
(With PTI inputs)
