Pakistan records second-highest daily COVID-19 case count since pandemic started in 2020

• Pakistan records 6,808 fresh COVID-19 infections as Omicron variant spikes cases.
• Positivity rate reaches nine-month high to 11.55%, NCOC stats show.
• Active cases shoot up to 51,094 from 44,717 in last 24 hours.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded 6,808 new COVID-19 cases, the second-highest daily case count since the coronavirus pandemic started in 2020, official figures showed Thursday morning, as the country witnesses a rapid rise in infections due to the Omicron variant.

The highest daily toll was recorded on June 13, 2020, when the country reported 6,825 coronavirus cases, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) data showed.

The positivity rate in the country jumped to a nine-month high Thursday morning as the infection rate was reported at 11.55% after 58,943 tests were conducted, the NCOC's data showed.

Read more: Which cities are facing restrictions because of COVID positivity above 10%?

The active cases, too, shot up and now stand at 51,094 from just 44,717 in the last 24 hours, official figures showed, with total deaths standing at 29,042 after five more people succumbed to the virus.

Major cities with positivity higher than 10%

• Karachi — 41%
• Muzaffarabad — 25%
• Hyderabad — 17.27%
• Islamabad — 15.37%
• Lahore — 14.25%
• Rawalpindi — 12.75%
• Peshawar — 11.20%

New guidelines

The NCOC had on Wednesday finally issued revised coronavirus guidelines and SOPs for the education, restaurant, entertainment, and other sectors as Pakistan struggles to contain the spread of the Omicron variant.

The forum had decided that indoor weddings, dining, and gatherings will be banned in cities and districts with an infection rate higher than 10%. The schools in such cities and districts will remain open, with "staggered" classes for children under 12 years.

As a result of the rising cases, the NCOC also lowered the crowd attendance for Pakistan Super League (PSL) from 100% to 25% for Karachi-leg matches, while children under the age of 12 have been barred from the stadium.