Pakistan records 6,808 new COVID-19 cases, second-highest daily case count since pandemic started in 2020

Pakistan recorded 6,808 new COVID-19 cases, the second-highest daily case count since the coronavirus pandemic started in 2020, local media reported on Thursday.

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

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

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, Geo News reported.

As Pakistan faces the fifth wave of the deadly pandemic, the NCOC imposed further restrictions on schools, weddings and gyms.

According to the Pakistani publication, the NCOC on Wednesday 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 per cent. The schools in such cities and districts will remain open, with "staggered" classes for children under 12 years, Geo News reported.

( With inputs from ANI )

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