Pakistan reported the coronavirus positivity ratio below 5 percent for the seventh consecutive day, which fell to 4.05 percent on Sunday - the lowest since March 5 - according to the official data provided by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday.
The Covid-19 positivity rate had been reported at 4.04 percent on March 5. According to the NCOC, about 52,223 tests were conducted during the past 24 hours out of which 2,117 returned positive, taking the total caseload to 921,053.
At least 43 people lost the battle to coronavirus during the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 20,779 across the country. Pakistan's single-day Covid-19 daily death toll remains below 100 for the 10th consecutive day.
The number of active cases stands at 56,347 whereas about 607,205 people have recovered from the virus so far.
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab has reported a total of 339,989 infections, Sindh 317,665, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 132,549, Islamabad 81,195, Balochistan 25,148, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 19,232, and Gilgit Baltistan 5,578.
At least 613 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Punjab during the past 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 339,686. According to the Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Care Department, at least 17 more patients succumbed to the pandemic as the total death count reached 9,999.
The department added that at least 309,488 patients had recovered from the deadly virus as of yet, with 755 people recovered in the past 24 hours.
Sindh reported at least 914 new coronavirus cases during the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 318,562. According to Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, 19 more patients succumbed to the deadly virus as the death toll reached 5,039. He further said that 684 patients recovered overnight, taking the total to 287,728.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, who is also the chief of National Command and Control Centre (NCOC), said on Monday that the government is gradually opening business activities as the positivity rate in the country has come down from 10-11 percent to 4 percent.
Briefing the media in Islamabad over the Covid-19 situation in the country, he said that due to the timely decisions of the government, the spread of coronavirus, which had reached dangerous levels, is on the decline now. However, he added, that the masses still need to be cautious as the pandemic is still not over.
"The positivity rate, which had reached 10-11%, had come down to 4.5% last week and yesterday it was just over 4%," the NCOC chief said but added that the positivity rate in Sindh is still a bit high and the situation needed to be handled carefully.
"Fortunately, Pakistan did not witness the situation faced by some other countries in the region but we still need to be cautious because the pandemic is not over yet."