ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday reported another 44 deaths and more than 3,000 coronavirus cases, its pandemic response monitor said, as the South Asian nation continues to battle an omicron-driven fifth wave of infections.
Since the 220-million strong nation reported its first COVID-19 case in February 2020, over 1.4 million Pakistanis have tested positive for the virus, while the number of deaths in the country has crossed 29,700.
In the last 24 hours, 3,019 people tested positive for the virus, constituting a 5.36 percent positivity rate, according to the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the country’s pandemic response body.
The number of active coronavirus cases currently stands at 80,168, while 1,640 patients are on critical care.
Earlier this month, the NCOC announced a door-to-door vaccination drive to administer over 35 million doses to help the country fight the fifth wave of virus infections.
On Thursday, NCOC chief Asad Umar tweeted that Pakistan had set a record for administering the most vaccine doses in a single day, i.e. 2.24 million.
“Last 4 days in a row we have vaccinated more than 2 million each day. Every 3 out of 4 Pakistanis eligible for vaccination have received at least 1 dose,” he said.
“58 percent are fully vaccinated. Well done Pakistan.”
