Karachi is witnessing an alarming surge in coronavirus cases during the fifth Covid-19 wave fuelled by the Omicron variant with positivity rate reaching nearly 40% in the metropolis during the last 24 hours.
Out of 15,172 people, 2,677 tested positive for Covid-19 in Sindh in the past 24 hours — 2,424 of them from Karachi, according to the latest figures issued by the CM’s House on Sunday. Of the reported cases, 229 patients are in critical condition while 18 patients are undergoing treatment on ventilator.
The city’s positivity rate has increased by 4% in a single day. The Sindh Health Department said the Omicron variant was confirmed in 460 people in Karachi after genome sequencing. It added that genome sequencing of 56 suspected cases was in progress. Health experts said 95% of the cases reported daily were of the Omicron variant.
They also warned that the fifth wave of coronavirus would reach its peak by the middle of February.
The provincial health department has decided to conduct random coronavirus testing of students across all schools of the province. It also issued directives to district health officers for this purpose through a notification.
The notification stated that 100 samples would be collected from schools in each district of the province and sent to Dow Hospital laboratory to check the disease prevalence. Based on the results, the provincial government will make the final decision on the closure of educational institutions.
