Islamabad, Jul 11 (PTI) Pakistan is bracing to battle the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic as the country saw a three-fold increase in number of people being tested positive everyday in less than three weeks.
Health experts are blaming the reopening of businesses and tourism sector for the resurge in cases and have urged the government to announce a lockdown so that Eidul Azha is celebrated with the observance of strict health-related restrictions.
The country detected 1,980 new cases in the last 24 hours at the positivity rate of 4.09 per cent, according to the official data released on Sunday. On June 21, the tally of new cases was only 663.
It is for the first time that the positivity rate crossed 4 per cent since May 30 when 4.05 per cent was recorded, according to the Ministry of National Health Services.
Positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for the virus compared to the total number of people who have been tested.
A high value of positivity rate suggests high coronavirus infection rate, implying greater prevalance of the disease.
The national tally of confirmed cases reached 973,284 while the death toll touched 22,582 as 27 more patients died in the last 24 hours.
The data showed that 913,203 people have fully recovered so far but still some 2,119 were in critical condition, meaning the death toll may rise.
The government is banking on vaccination and so far has administered over 19.067 million doses. It has been urging people to get vaccinated at the earliest.
Despite warnings by Opposition parties and protests by the students, the government is conducting board examinations of secondary and higher secondary students, which may increase the rate of fresh infections.
