As the holy month of Ramadan begins, an increase has been recorded in Covid-19 cases across the major cities of Pakistan. Media reports state that the positivity rate has crossed over 5 per cent in Karachi and Islamabad. In Lahore, the rate stood at 3.99pc, and in Rawalpindi, the rate touched 2.61pc. The overall statistics of Covid-19 across the country are also alarming.
According to the tweet by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Command & Operations Centre claimed that 4,194 people were tested in the last 24 hours. Of the tested people, 150 resulted in Covid-19 positive.
The positivity rate reached 3.58pc. One person died of the virus, while 22 are in critical care. On March 23, positive cases jumped to 168 (the highest since September 2022).
COVID-19 Statistics 24 March 2023
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 4,194
Positive Cases: 150
Positivity %: 3.58%
Deaths: 01
Patients on Critical Care: 22
(shared by NCOC-NIH)— NIH Pakistan (@NIH_Pakistan) March 23, 2023
Officials ask not to panic and wear mask
Health authorities have asked the citizens not to panic about the ongoing surge in Covid-19 cases. They have urged the citizens to wear masks and try to avoid crowded places. Dr Shahzad Ali Khan, a member of NCOC, said recent mutations in the virus had caused an increase in cases. He added that the new strain has a low mortality rate and people should not panic.
Vice-Chancellor of the Health Services Academy Dr Khan highlighted that the new strain of the virus would cause fluctuating transmissibility, and subsequently, the cases would sometimes increase or decrease. He added that middle-aged people with good health have nothing to worry about because they would not face major complications even if they got infected.
However, Dr Khan has asked patients of blood pressure, kidney-related diseases, diabetes, and cancer to be careful. He also said that people above the age of 65 should also be cautious.