New wave fears grow as Pakistan's daily cases hit 2-month high

ISLAMABAD: As officials fret over a fifth virus wave, Pakistan on Monday reported more than 700 new COVID-19 cases, its highest daily figure in over two months.

A total of 708 new cases and two deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, raising the overall tally above 1.29 million, including nearly 28,400 deaths, according to Health Ministry data.

The daily number is four times greater than at the end of November and the first over 700 since 733 infections were recorded on Oct. 30 last year.

Officials have warned that the coronavirus omicron variant is driving infections up in the country.

As cases clocked in at 556 on Sunday, exceeding 500 for the fourth day in a row, Asad Umar, the minister heading Pakistan’s COVID-19 response, said authorities have “clear evidence” of a new virus wave.

He said a surge “has been expected for the last few weeks” and that genome sequencing shows a “rising proportion of omicron cases,” particularly in Karachi, the largest city and a commercial hub of nearly 20 million people.

Pakistan, a country of over 220 million, has given first vaccine doses to some 96 million to date, while over 70 million people have been fully vaccinated, according to official data.