ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported more than 7,000 new COVID-19 cases for a second time during this month on Sunday, only a day after its planning minister Asad Umar warned that the omicron variant of the coronavirus was killing people across the world.
Pakistan is currently battling the fifth wave of the pandemic, as officials maintain the fresh surge in the number of cases has been driven by the highly transmissible omicron strain.
The National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), which is the country’s central pandemic response body, said at least 7,586 COVID-19 cases were reported in Pakistan in the last 24 hours, taking the overall positivity ratio to 13 percent.
Pakistan’s planning minister, who is also the head of the NCOC, urged people in a Twitter post on Saturday not to take the omicron variant lightly.
“2 important news regarding omicron. 1) more than 2 thousand people dying of covid daily in the US. So when you hear omicron is mild, it can still kill you,” he said, adding the latest research showed booster dose gave significant protection against the disease. “So if it’s been 6 months since 2nd dose, get a booster.”
Meanwhile, the NCOC said 35 percent of Pakistan’s total population and 52 percent of its eligible people had been vaccinated.
Booster doses have already been administered to general public without any charges.
These doses have been administered to people who got themselves fully vaccinated at least six months ago.
