ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases in a day with 8,183 new infections clocked in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Friday, January 28, 2022, as the country grappled to contain the fifth wave of the pandemic.
With the new cases, the total number of COVID-19 infections in the country reached 1,402,070, while with 30 more deaths in the last 24 hours, the number of fatalities jumped to 29,192, according to the data by the Ministry of National Health Services.
The new positivity rate was about 12 per cent, while several big cities like Karachi reported a positivity rate of over 20 per cent.
At least 1,274,657 people have recovered from COVID-19 but some 1,353 were still in a critical condition, according to the ministry.
Pakistan health officials have been trying to combat the pandemic by expanding vaccination, urging people to follow SoPs and imposing smart lockdowns in the worst-hit areas.
Data showed that more than 80 million people have been fully vaccinated and 2.2 million have received the booster dose.
The ministry says that more than 52 per cent of eligible people were fully vaccinated in the country.
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the highest body tasked to tackle the pandemic, in its meeting on Thursday extended the virus-related curbs announced earlier this month until February 15.
The measures include a complete ban on all types of indoor events in areas where the positivity ratio was more than 10 per cent.
Similarly, vaccination had been made compulsory for all students above 12 years of age.
It said that half of the strength of students under the age of 12 would attend classes.