ISLAMABAD:National Institute of Health (NIH) Executive Director Aamer Ikram on Tuesday denied all reports surrounding the presence of New Covid variant in the country.
No cases of a new variant of Covid have been reported. But the NIH official said while adding that all “arrangements have been completed to combat new variant” should case emerge.
Lifting of the lockdown in China and free travelling have increased the risk of a new Covid variant entering Pakistan.
A representative of National Command and Control Center (NCOC) said that new variations have previously appeared but were quickly contained. “We are ready to deal with and manage any variant,”
According to reports, the coronavirus subvariant BF.7 or BA.5.2.1.7, which is highly contagious, is what is spreading throughout China.
Lt-Gen Inam Haider Malik, the chairman of the NDMA, gave the NIH the order to release the required regulations for educational institutions, social gatherings, and communities yesterday while presiding over a review meeting on the virus situation.
In the meantime, allegations of a fresh Covid wave have surfaced while at least 29 Omicron illnesses have been detected in a week across the nation.
However, of the published figures, there are no BF cases and all cases are of the older XBB subvariant. There have been 7 cases found thus far.
The current positivity rate is 0.40 percent, with 15 positive instances, according to the NIH.
Alarm as China relaxes restrictions
On Monday, China reported three additional COVID deaths, up from one on Sunday. 5,253 people have officially died since the outbreak started.
While Chinese-ruled Hong Kong has reported more than 11,000 deaths, the official death toll in China equates to more than one million deaths in the United States.
In a travel notice released on Wednesday, the US urged citizens to “reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong, and Macau” and noted “claims that the healthcare system is overwhelmed” in addition to the possibility of new variations.
On December 26, the main airport in Milan, Italy, began testing travellers arriving from Beijing and Shanghai. It was discovered that over half of them were sick.
As unfounded and politically motivated attempts to malign its policies, China has rejected criticism of its statistics. Additionally, it has downplayed threat of novel variants by stating that it anticipates alterations to be more virulent but milder.
Chinese health officials stated last week that Omicron was remained the predominant strain in China.
As of right now, new travel restrictions won’t be put in place, according to Australia, Germany, Thailand, and other nations.
COVID-19 Statistics 03 January 2023
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 3,744
Positive Cases: 15
Positivity %: 0.40%
Deaths: 00
Patients on Critical Care: 25— NIH Pakistan (@NIH_Pakistan) January 3, 2023