Pakistan reports record COVID-19 deaths, infections

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan on Sunday set a new record of daily infections and fatalities as a third wave of COVID-19 continues to batter the South Asian nation.

Some 6,127 new infections and 149 casualties were recorded over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day cases and fatalities since June 2020, the Health Ministry data showed.

The country had recorded 6,604 infections and 153 deaths on June 20.

Punjab, the country's largest and richest province, has been the epicenter of the third wave, where over 50% of the total deaths and infections were reported in the last 24 hours, followed by the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The nationwide death toll has reached 16,243, whereas the total caseload reached 756,285.

The current number of active cases across the country is 80,559, whereas 659,483 patients have so far recovered.

The government and health officials warn that if the ongoing pace of infections continues for another two weeks, the situation may get worse, as the country's already weak health system is overwhelmed.

In several district hospitals, over 90% of ventilators and oxygen beds are already occupied, according to the ministry.

Islamabad is set to receive millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses from different countries in the coming weeks to speed up its slow immunization campaign. So far, out of 210 million population, nearly 1.4 million people, including health professionals and people above the age of 50, have been inoculated.