Lowest positivity ratio in Pakistan since govt started measuring COVID-19: Asad Umar

• Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar says we now have the lowest positivity ratio since the country started measuring COVID-19.
• Positive impact of vaccination showing but vaccination drive must continue, highlights Umar.
• Today was the 11th consecutive day Pakistan reported a positivity rate below 2%.

Pakistan now has the lowest positivity ratio since the country started measuring COVID-19, Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said Wednesday morning after the country reported a positivity rate of 1.34%.

In a Twitter post, Umar, who also heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), said that Pakistan currently also has the lowest patients on critical care and lowest daily mortality record in a year.

He highlighted that the positive trend is the impact of vaccinations, but urged that the vaccination drive must continue.

"Positive impact of vaccination showing but vaccination drive must continue. Globally 7,500 died of covid yesterday," he wrote.

Today was the 11th consecutive day Pakistan reported a positivity rate below 2%. Apart from that, the country recorded 516 fresh coronavirus infections and 13 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the daily stats shared by the NCOC.

COVID-19 infections are decreasing in Pakistan, with 593 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 10% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on June 17.

There have been 1,270,322 infections and 28,405 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the country since the pandemic began.

Pakistan has administered at least 100,741,762 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 23.3% of the country’s population.

'Coronavirus vaccine is safe and free'

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Faisal Sultan, meanwhile, also made the same appeal to the public as Umar in a brief appearance on Geo News programme Geo Pakistan.

He claimed 25% of the Pakistani population has so far been vaccinated against COVID-19. But added that there is still a proportion of the population that can be infected.

Around 7.5 million people are being vaccinated daily, Dr Sultan shared, adding that vaccination of the youth, in particular, should continue.

More than 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have so far been administered, urging the public to get vaccinated. He assured people that it is safe to get the vaccine and free of charge.

More than two-thirds of the population in Islamabad has already been vaccinated, he highlighted.