Pakistan faces 5th wave of COVID-19

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan is facing a fifth wave of coronavirus amid surging infections across the country, a senior official said on Sunday.

Planning Minister Asad Umar, who also heads the country's anti-virus strategy, said there is clear evidence that the fifth wave of the COVID-19 is "now beginning."

"Clear evidence now of a beginning of another COVID wave, which has been expected for last few weeks,” Umar wrote on Twitter, adding that genome sequencing shows an increase in omicron cases, particularly in Karachi, the country's largest city and commercial capital.

"Remember: wearing a mask is your best protection," he urged.

The South Asian country reported over 500 new infections in the past 24 hours – the fourth day in a row, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

With 594 new infections, the country's overall caseload reached 1,296,527, with the infection rate rising from 0.6% to 1.3%.

The country has so far reported 28,941 coronavirus-related deaths.

According to Umar, some 70 million people out of a total 210 million population have been fully vaccinated.