Pak conducts highest number of COVID tests for a day as cases cross 48,000

Pakistan conducted the highest number of tests per day during the last 24 hours as the coronavirus cases crossed 48,000-mark on Thursday (May 21), the health ministry said.

Pakistan recorded 2,193 new cases, taking the total number of infections to 48,091. The death toll stands at 1,017 with 32 new fatalities. As many as 15,346 coronavirus tests, the highest in a single day, were conducted in the last 24 hours, health officials said. The authorities have conducted 429,600 tests so far.

Sindh reported the maximum number of 18,964 cases, followed by 17,382 in Punjab, 6,815 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 2,968 in Balochistan, 1,235 in Islamabad, 579 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 148 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. As many as 14,155 patients have recovered so far, the officials said.

The number of daily testing increased after Planning Minister Asad Umar on Tuesday said that 30,000 tests per day would be sufficient for Pakistan to control the spread of the deadly virus.

Pakistan is in a position to conduct over 25,000 tests per day, he said, expressing hope that by May-end or early June the country would be able to conduct 30,000 tests per day.