Karachi's COVID infection rate nears 20%.

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD -- The coronavirus infection rate in the port city is nearing 20% after more than 200 fresh cases were reported in the last 24 hours, data from the National Institute of Health showed Saturday.

The positivity ratio reached 19.65% after the city registered 246 new coronavirus cases - following the trend of rising COVID infections across the country.

In Sindh overall, 3,336 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, after which 280 cases were detected, according to the provincial health department. The province's positivity ratio stands at 8.4%.

After Karachi, Islamabad reported the most cases at 50.

The overall positivity ratio in the country has reached 3.19% after 435 new cases were registered and a COVID-19-related death occurred in the last 24 hours, according to the NIH.

The NIH said 87 patients were in critical condition and are being treated in various hospitals across the country.

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 30,383 people in Pakistan so far. Since the previous high of 56 on September 30, 2021, fatalities have generally been declining.

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