Pakistan records 1,010 recoveries as total crosses 324,000
The government’s database for tracking the spread of Covid-19 in the country shows that 1,010 more people have recovered from the virus, taking Pakistan’s total recoveries to 324,834.
The database also shows that 1,447 coronavirus patients are in critical condition.
Punjab reports 597 new cases, up from 457 infections a day earlier
Punjab has reported 597 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, up from 457 a day earlier, taking the provincial tally to 111,047.
The province has also confirmed 17 additional deaths, taking Punjab’s total number of fatalities to 2,492.
Islamabad, federal territories collectively report 318 infections, 8 fatalities
Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have collectively reported 318 coronavirus infections and eight additional fatalities.
The breakdown is as follows:
- Islamabad: 226 cases, 3 deaths
- GB: 9 cases
- AJK: 83 cases, 5 deaths
KP, Balochistan collectively record 287 cases, 4 deaths
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 245 cases and four deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the government’s coronavirus portal. This has taken KP’s caseload to 42,615 and fatalities to 1,315.
Meanwhile, Balochistan has recorded 42 fresh cases, taking its total to 16,449.
49pc parents want schools closed: report
While the threat perception regarding Covid-19 has decreased across the country, 49 per cent of parents do not want to send their children to school, according to a survey.
Moreover, the income of 83pc has decreased due to the pandemic. But half of Pakistanis are optimistic that the Covid-19 vaccine will be available before the end of 2020.
WHO pushes for schools’ closure to contain coronavirus
Declaring educational institutions a major source of the coronavirus transmission in general population, the World Health Organisation has expressed concern about the government’s failure to decide about school closures in light of the growing Covid-19 incidence in the country.
The WHO representatives based in Islamabad told Dawn that the Covid-19 positivity in general population would increase if the educational institutions saw more and more staff members and students test positive for the virus.
They said schools needed to be closed to decrease the incidence of coronavirus incidence as most of the infected cases reported in educational institutions were young and were safe from complications but were infection carriers and had the potential to affect people in their families and communities.
Pfizer to start pilot program for Covid-19 immunisation in four US states
Pfizer Inc has said it was starting a pilot program for Covid-19 immunisation in four US states to help refine the plan for the delivery and deployment of its vaccine candidate.
The US drugmaker said it had selected Rhode Island, Texas, New Mexico, and Tennessee for the program because of their differences in overall size, diversity of populations and immunisation infrastructure, as well as the states’ need to reach individuals in varied urban and rural settings.
“The four states included in this pilot program will not receive vaccine doses earlier than other states by virtue of this pilot, nor will they receive any differential consideration,” Pfizer said in a statement.
US logs 1 million new Covid-19 cases last week, deaths up 12pc
The United States recorded more than one million new Covid-19 cases last week as new infections rose in every state except for Hawaii, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports.
Deaths increased 12 per cent in the week ending Nov 15 and averaged more than 1,100 people per day.
Several states, including Michigan, North Dakota and Washington, imposed new restrictions on public gatherings and indoor dining to try to slow the spread of the virus.
Some of the states that saw the sharpest percentage increases in infections last week, such as Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York, were places that appeared to have had the virus under control over the summer.
