Three more cases of Omicron reported in Islamabad

Islamabad: Pakistan reported three more cases of COVID-19 variant Omicron on Wednesday.

The health ministry say people who live with new Omicron patients and those who came in contact with them are being traced.

With the recently surfaced cases in Islamabad, the total number of Omicron infections in the federal capital rose to 20.

The first case of Omicron variant in Islamabad was reported on December 25.

Earlier, the health experts in Pakistan have raised concerns about a fifth wave of corona epidemics, as the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed that the toll from coronavirus' new Omicron variant in Pakistan has reached a total of 75 as of December 27.

The health ministry officials said that the rapid rise in cases of Omicron indicates that the cases will surge as more cities from across the country will report the Covid variant in the next two weeks.

According to medical experts, 3,000 to 4,000 new cases of corona may be reported daily in mid-February next year.

The institution said since then, the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), NIH, and provincial health departments have remained vigilant to detect the variant in Pakistan.

The health institution said relevant authorities have isolated the patients and initiated contact tracing in order to control the spread of the variant.

"The vaccination and standard operations procedures (SOPs) continue to be our best defence against COVID-19 despite the mutations being reported," the NIH told the masses.

The NIH noted that all government-approved COVID-19 vaccines available in Pakistan "remain highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalization".

Authorities said that the vaccination can protect against the deadly disease.

The NIH urged everyone to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and the booster dose as per the eligibility criteria and process.