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Pakistan sees slight decline in COVID-19 positivity ratio

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  • Pakistan reports slight decline in coronavirus positivity ratio.
  • COVID-19 positivity rate in Pakistan declines from 3.65% yesterday to 3.35% today (Friday).
  • As many as 177 people suffering from virus being treated in critical care units.

Pakistan reported a slight decline in its coronavirus positivity ratio while another person succumbed to the virus, National Institute of Health, Islamabad’s (NIH) data showed Friday morning.

As per the latest stats, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Pakistan declined from 3.65% yesterday to 3.35% today (Friday).

On Thursday, the country had reported nine deaths in a single day which was the highest in 20 days.

As many as 693 new COVID-19 infections were detected after testing on 20,678 samples in the last 24 hours, taking Pakistan’s total cases to 1,553,325.

Meanwhile, 177 people suffering from the virus are being treated in critical care units.

What is COVID BA.5 variant and why is it reinfecting so many people?

BA5, part of the Omicron family, is the latest coronavirus variant to cause widespread waves of infection globally.

According to the World Health Organisation’s most recent report, it was behind 52% of cases sequenced in late June, up from 37% in one week. In the United States, it is estimated to be causing around 65% of infections.

Rising case numbers

BA5 is not new. First identified in January, it has been tracked by the WHO since April.

It is a sister variant of the Omicron strain that has been dominant worldwide since the end of 2021 and has already caused spikes in case rates – even with reduced testing – in countries including South Africa, where it was first found, as well as the United Kingdom, parts of Europe, and Australia.

Coronavirus cases worldwide have now been rising for four weeks in a row, WHO data showed.

Why is it spreading?

Like its closely related sibling, BA4, BA5 is particularly good at evading the immune protection afforded either by vaccination or prior infection.

For this reason, “BA5 has a growth advantage over the other sublineages of Omicron that are circulating,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, told a news briefing on Tuesday.

For many people, this means that they are getting re-infected, often even a short time after having COVID-19. Van Kerkhove said the WHO is assessing reports of re-infections.

“We have ample evidence that people who’ve been infected with Omicron are getting infected with BA5. No question about it,” said Gregory Poland, a virologist and vaccine researcher with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

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Over Pakistan, Rain and Snowfall Are Expected Over the Next Three Days

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As a succession of westerly winds sweep into the upper areas of Pakistan, rain is expected to fall during the following three days.

The Meteorological Department forecasts snowfall in mountainous regions and rainfall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. There will be rain in Balochistan and the Punjabi plains, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

In addition, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Upper Punjab, Islamabad, and Northeastern Balochistan are scheduled to see strong winds, thunderstorms, and partly overcast weather during the course of the next day.

Since last month, there has been mild to severe haze in some portions of the country’s upper regions. The capital of Punjab, Lahore, as well as cities like Multan and Sialkot, are among the areas most severely impacted by dense fog.

Other regions of the nation will see dry weather in the interim. It is anticipated that most of Punjab will see morning smog and fog, which will eventually dissipate by nightfall.

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Dar chairs the CCOP meeting; Blue World’s bid offer of Rs.10 billion is rejected.

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The Foreign Minister/Deputy Prime Minister chaired the Cabinet Committee on Privatization meeting.

Other committee members who attended the conference included the Federal Secretaries of several Divisions, the Ministers of Finance and Revenue, Industry and Food, Commerce, Power, and Privatization.

The CCOP took the PC Board’s recommendation into consideration and suggested that Blue World’s bid of 10 billion rupees for the sale of 60% of PIACL’s shares be rejected. The bid was rejected by the CCOP, who chose to follow the PC Board’s advice.

The government’s determination to sell out PIACL through government-to-government or privatization was reaffirmed by the CCOP.

The CCOP was pleased with the Aviation Division’s evaluation of PIACL’s sound financial standing.

Additionally, the CCOP established a committee, chaired by the Minister of State for Finance, to assess potential transaction possibilities for the privatization of the Roosevelt Hotel and the appropriate modes of adoption in light of existing legal rules.

Prior to its subsequent meeting, the CCOP also ordered that all difficulties be resolved and an agreement for the selling of services to an international hotel be concluded.

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Combating Terrorism: Twelve Terrorists Destroyed in Separate Operations by Security Forces

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Eleven terrorists and Kharijis were killed in two separate intelligence-based operations in Balochistan’s Miran Shah District and North Waziristan. One of the victims was Sana Alias Baru, a high-value target.

In the vicinity of Miran Shah in North Waziristan, security forces successfully fought the Khwarij, leading to the death of eight and injury of six.

The general region of Balgatar, Kech District, Balochistan was earlier the scene of an Intelligence-Based Operation that resulted in the deaths of four terrorists, one of them was a high-value target.

Authorities in Kech District were actively seeking Baru, who had a pivotal role in recruiting members of the so-called Majeed Brigade, particularly suicide bombers.

Among the terrorists’ possessions were weapons and ammo.

In order to eradicate any lingering terrorists in the vicinity, a sanitation operation is currently under progress.

With unwavering resolve, the Pakistani security forces will eradicate the terrorist threat from the nation.

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