The second wave of the novel coronavirus has hit Pakistan with a bang. As the Covid-19 positivity ratio continues to be on the rise, the country has reported 17 deaths in the last 24 hours, with the total number of cases now totaling to 354,461. According to latest figures, the nationwide tally of fatalities has now jumped to 7,109. National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) revealed 2,165 persons have been tested positive for the deadly infection in the past one day. Sindh remains the worst-hit province, followed by Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Uptil now 153,873 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 109,309 in Punjab, 41,723 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 23,533 in Islamabad, 16,328 in Balochistan, 5,261 in Azad Kashmir and 4,434 in Gilgit-Baltistan. Approximately 2,722 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Sindh, 2,462 in Punjab, 1,305 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 155 in Balochistan, 253 in Islamabad, 93 in GB and 119 in Azad Kashmir.
Pakistan has so far conducted 4,881,640 coronavirus tests and 34,535 in the last 24 hours and 322,414 coronavirus patients have recovered from the infection, while 1,316 patients are reportedly in critical condition. Last week, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) imposed a ban on indoor weddings starting November 20, stating that these measures would “remain in force till 31 January 2021,” in the “major cities with high positivity and higher disease spread potential”. The revised SOPs also included the “policy of work from home for 50% of the staff in all public/private offices” and “relatively broader smart lockdowns (SLDs) based on hotspot areas”. The statement said that only outdoor marriages will be allowed with an upper limit of 1,000 persons. The NCOC also recommended early and extended winter vacations for students amid the rise in Covid-19 positive cases at educational institutions across Pakistan.