Coronavirus Pandemic: Omicron cases in Pakistan rise to 352 amid 5th COVID-19 wave concerns

Pakistan has reported 352 cases of Omicron variant COVID-19 so far, a senior health ministry official said.

Rana Muhammad Safdar, director-general of health at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, said that a total of 352 Omicron cases have been reported as of Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

He added that a majority of cases were detected in major cities across Pakistan, including Karachi, Lahore, and the capital Islamabad.

Rapid reaction teams are tracing contacts and quarantining people while smart lockdowns are also being implemented in impacted locations. He said that vaccination is the best way to stop the disease from spreading.

Earlier on Monday, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the nerve centre of Pakistan's COVID-19 response said that the fifth wave of COVID-19, propelled by the Omicron variant, is spreading rapidly across the country, according to the Chinese news agency.

The NCOC has urged provinces to meet their vaccination targets as soon as possible in order to minimise the spread of the disease and said that those who have been vaccinated are less susceptible to Omicron.

(ANI)