Covid-19 positivity rate in Pakistan's Karachi touches 40% mark

An alarming rate of COVID-19 positivity rate in Pakistan's Karachi, reaching the 40 per cent mark on Sunday, has sent ripples through the medical fraternity in the country, a media report said on Monday.

This latest surge is believed to be caused by the fifth wave of COVID-19, which would touch peak in the middle of March this year, the Dawn newspaper reported.

This comes as Pakistan continues to register a record number of cases. On Monday, the country reported 4,340 new infections of COVID-19. Pakistan reported a positivity ratio of 8.7 per cent.

The health department said that the infection rate reached 39.39pc in Karachi during the last 24 hours. It said about 95pc of the reported cases were of the Omicron variant, according to Dawn.

The authorities have expressed concern over the number of growing infections among doctors, nurses, and paramedics.

"It would not be less than 500, I think," a senior official was quoted by Dawn. "There are doctors, paramedics and even administrative staff of different public and private hospitals. Most of them are at their homes. This all we have witnessed within a week or 10 days."

The Pakistani newspaper said the situation has compelled the medical fraternity to raise an alarm and make calls for immediate steps from the government and also from society.

Pakistan has so far recorded over 13 lakh confirmed infections of COVID-19. The south Asian country has also recorded 29,019 deaths due to the virus.

The provincial government in Sindh on Sunday announced pay cuts for government employees who refuse to wear a mask, Geo News reported.

The directive has been issued in view of the rising COVID-19 cases in the province.