Coronavirus positivity rate crosses 24% in southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad

Commuters wearing facemasks as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus, ride along a street in Karachi on December 17, 2020. (Photo Courtesy: AFP)

• Highest positivity ratio of 24.59% in Hyderabad, followed by Karachi 17.71% and Rawalpindi 17.21%
• 2,447 patients in critical condition across Pakistan and number of critical patients rising fast, government says 

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the Pakistani federal government’s central body dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, said on Friday the coronavirus positivity rate had crossed 24 percent in the southern city of Hyderabad. 
Pakistan recorded 2,972 new coronavirus cases countrywide over the last 24 hours as a second wave of the epidemic has gathered momentum, data released on Friday showed, adding that the national positivity rate was 7.59 percent.
“Highest positivity ratio observed in Hyderabad 24.59%, followed by Karachi 17.71% and Rawalpindi 17.21%,” the NCOC said in a statement. “2,447 COVID-19 patients are in critical condition across Pakistan and the number of critical patients is rising fast.” 
After a peak of over 6,800 daily infections in June, the number fell to a low of 213 in August, and remained below 700 for most of the last three months. But last month, the government announced that a second wave of the coronavirus had arrived.
On Thursday, smart lockdowns were imposed in Karachi’s District Central and some neighborhoods in Peshawar following a surge in coronavirus cases. 
Earlier this month, the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan ruled out a complete lockdown and decided to continue the smart lockdown policy with strict implementation of safety guidelines given by the NCOC.
The country’s last comprehensive lockdown was lifted in May.