In Pakistan, the third wave of coronavirus infection has seen the cases rise to an alarming level. 3,301 new COVID cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours which meant that for the 6th consecutive day, over 3,000 new cases have been detected in the country.

As per the latest reports courtesy the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), the tallies of the last six days of the number of people testing positive in Pakistan is as follows:

DATE ---  NUMBER OF NEW CASES REPORTED  March 24 --- 3,301     March 23 --- 3,270    March 22 --- 3,669  March 21 --- 3,667   March 20 --- 3,876  March 19 --- 3,449   March 18 --- 3,495   

As of today, 637,042 total cases have been detected in Pakistan while 13,965 coronavirus-related casualties have been reported. But it must be noted that these figures only represent the cases that are reported and the actual statistics are many times more than these.

Doctors and frontline warriors working in peripheries and district headquarter hospitals confirm that the actual number of patients being presented daily in Emergency Rooms of government hospitals with the peculiar symptoms of coronavirus infection is increasing day by day and the worst part is that nowadays almost all patients are being reported in critical condition. The oxygen beds reserved for COVID patients are being filled up at an alarming rate, especially in Punjab and Islamabad. The staggering rise in new cases has prompted the government to implement strict lockdown measures in several districts of Punjab, KP, and Islamabad. Other regions of the country have also been opting for 'Smart Lockdown' in COVID hotspots.

The situation is getting out of control in our country so it's our own responsibility that we strictly follow the COVID SOPs put in place by the local authorities, avoid social gatherings, and wear masks in public. This pandemic is far from being over.