New COVID-19 cases in Punjab jump to 9-month high

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 06 Jan 2023

• Punjab records highest number of coronavirus cases in a single day in over nine months.
• Bulk of infections, that is 53%, are from capital city Lahore alone.
• Amidst a surge in cases, Punjab changed this week its secretary of the primary and secondary healthcare department.

Punjab recorded on Thursday its highest number of single-day coronavirus cases in over nine months, as per the official tally.

On March 24, Pakistan's most populous province Punjab detected 2,571 infections in one day, according to the official data of Punjab’s primary and secondary healthcare department. This has been the highest uptick in daily cases in the province since June 12 last year, when 2,705 people tested positive.

Of the total infections recorded on March 24, the bulk, therefore 53%, are from the capital city of Lahore alone.

On Wednesday, Pakistan, which is in the grip of the third wave of the coronavirus, recorded 3,946 cases in 24 hours and 63 deaths. Majority, therefore 65%, of the new cases were reported from Punjab.

As per the data of the World Health Organisation, on March 23, Lahore’s test positive rate shot up to 13.3%, while the rate for another city of Punjab, Multan, stood at 11.1%.

Amidst a surge in cases, Punjab changed this week its secretary of the primary and secondary healthcare department, replacing Captain (retired) Muhammad Usman with Sarah Aslam.