Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar has said that the Covid-19 positivity rate is declining in Pakistan due to increased lockdown restrictions and enforcement of coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Taking to twitter, the federal minister wrote that the although the number of reported cases are on a downward trend, the momentum of last two weeks patients on critical care and mortality will stay at high levels for some time.

“Please follow sop's & be safe,” he concluded by urging people to follow precautionary measures.

Increased restrictions, broader lockdowns & stronger sop enforcement starting to have effect. Initial signs of positivity slowing. However, due to momentum of last 2 weeks patients on critical care & mortality will stay at high levels for some time. Please follow sop's & be safe

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) April 6, 2021

Pakistan is presently experiencing its third wave of coronavirus which is said to be deadlier and more contagious than the previous two days.

According to National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), around 3,953 cases of coronavirus were reported while 103 people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 14,924.

The total number of confirmed cases reached to 696184.

As many as 618,158 patients have recovered from the disease with 3,645 critical cases.

Vaccination drive in Pakistan

On January 25, Pakistan authorized the emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V, making it the third anti-Covid-19 vaccine after Oxford University-AstraZeneca and Chinese Sinopharm approved by the country against the deadly coronavirus.

In February, the drive kick-started with healthcare workers being administered the jab in the first phase.

On March 10, the vaccination drive for 60 above began across Pakistan. The senior citizens are being administered the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.

On March 30, the government opened coronavirus vaccination registration for people who are 50 and above.

Sputnik V and CanSino is also commercially available in Pakistan at private hospitals of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.