Pakistan sees highest daily virus deaths in 3rd wave

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan recorded 105 deaths from coronavirus over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day toll during the ongoing third wave of the pandemic, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

On April 5, the South Asian country had registered 103 while on April 6 reported 102 deaths, which were the record daily toll since December last year.

With fresh fatalities, the overall death toll reached 15,229.

The country reported 5,312 new infections on Friday, pushing the total caseload to 710,829.

Some 625,789 patients have so far recovered, whereas the number of active cases reached 69,811. The country recovery ratio dropped from 95% to 88% while the fatality ratio also increased to 2.1%, according to the ministry data.

Infections have risen sharply in the South Asian nation of over 200 million people in recent days, with over 37,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the first nine days of April.

The doctors and other frontline health workers have also suffered from the pandemic and so far 15,304 were infected by the virus since last year, while 145 died, including 92 doctors across the country.

The government has already imposed "broader lockdowns" in high-risk areas, with no movement allowed, except for emergencies until April 11.

Pakistan is currently vaccinating frontline health care workers and senior citizens using Sinopharm and CanSino doses donated by China.

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Planning Minister Asad Umar, who leads the country's anti-virus response, said over 1 million people have so far been vaccinated.

Private hospitals in major cities have also started inoculation with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine imported by a pharmaceutical company.