Pakistan’s Covid positivity ratio remained below 10 per cent for the fifth consecutive day amid the fifth wave of the coronavirus, which started after the outbreak of Omicron variant.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre daily statistics, “Statistics Feb 5, 22: total tests in last 24 hours: 63,413; positive cases: 6,137; positivity %: 9.67%; deaths: 28; patients on critical care: 1,649.”

The countrywide Covid tally showed that Sindh topped the list with a maximum number of cases of 549,872, followed by Punjab (487,407), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (200,710), Islamabad (130,872), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (40,355), Balochistan (34,711), and Gilgit Baltistan (10,873).

Though the reported Covid numbers are exhibiting a downward trend, health experts have stressed that people should continue following the standard operating procedures and practice the Covid protocol in order to stem the virus spread and break the chain reaction.

The government has also started door-to-door vaccination campaign to inoculate more than 35 million in the first phase in order to “get rid of the virus” and return to normalcy.

“Vaccine Statistics: Vaccine administered across Pakistan in last 24 hours: 1,734,514; total vaccine administered till now: 182,333,329,” read the NCOC tweet on Saturday.

Special Assistant to the PM on Health Faisal Sultan again in a video message had exhorted people to get vaccinated as it was free, effective and provided protection against the contagion.

Furthermore, a World Health Organisation scientist on Thursday said the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron has been found in five African countries.

“BA.2 ... has been reported in five countries, that is Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal as well as South Africa. We are very concerned,” Dr Nicksy Gumede-Moeletsi told an online media briefing.

In addition to this, WHO Technical Lead on Covid-19 Maria Van Kerkhove on February 1 said that many countries have not reached their peak in cases of the Omicron variant and measures to curb its spread should be eased slowly.

WHO’s Emergencies chief Mike Ryan urged countries to chart their own path out of the pandemic and not blindly follow others in relaxing measures.