Covid positivity rate rises upto 4.5pc

Coronavirus transmission rate has gone up once again in the country with positivity rate increasing to 4.53 percent from yesterday's 3.98 percent.

On December 20, the infection rate was 0.66 percent.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported 21 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours till 8:00am today. Yesterday, 16 new cases were recorded.

No Covid-19 patients died in the last 24 hours.

The total number of confirmed cases rose to 20,46,367 and the total number of fatalities to 29,477.

Meanwhile, eight patients recovered during this time taking the overall recovery rate to 98.42 percent.

The total number of recoveries now stands at 20,13,951.

A total of 464 samples were tested across the country during this period.

After Covid-19 transmission remained under control for around three months, it started rising early last month, indicating the beginning of the fourth wave of Covid-19 in the country.

A positivity rate below five percent for at least two weeks at a stretch indicates the end of the previous wave, according to experts.

Amid the surge of new JN.1 variant globally, the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 has suggested the authorities concerned to take necessary measures, including wearing masks, to prevent the spread of the virus on Tuesday.