Doha: A three-week-old baby has died from COVID-19 in Qatar, the health ministry said on Sunday, reporting a rare child fatality from the illness in the Gulf country.

"A three-week-old baby has sadly died as a result of severe infection from COVID-19," the emirate's public health ministry said in a statement.

"The baby had no other known medical or hereditary conditions", and was the second child to have died in the country since the pandemic began, it added.

Child deaths from COVID-19 are infrequent but health authorities in several countries have registered a rise in childhood infections since the spread of the Omicron variant.

The Qatari ministry said youngsters have generally been less at risk of severe COVID infection than older people, but that "a greater number of children are being infected in this current wave and needing medical care than in previous waves".

Gas-rich Qatar has officially recorded almost 300,000 cases of coronavirus and around 600 deaths, from 2.6 million residents.

Cases have surged in recent weeks, and in late December Qatar's main health care provider suspended leave for all medical and administrative staff dealing with COVID-19 cases.

SOURCE: AFP

Islamabad: Pakistan has witnessed an enormous spike in its daily tally of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after as many as 4,340 new infections were logged in the last 24 hours, according to morning update by ministry of health.

Pakistan’s COVID positivity rate now stands at 8.71%. While, the cumulative tally of the country has now climbed to 1,328,487. 

As the fifth wave of COVID-19 intensifies in Pakistan reported 4,027 new coronavirus infections, a new daily record, with authorities linking the spike with the Omicron variant of virus.  

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 4,340 persons were tested positive while 7 died in the past 24 hours— taking Pakistan's COVID death toll to 29,019.   

As many as 1,263,791 patients have recovered from the disease. 

Punjab

The number of patients swelled to 453,392 in the province with 13,088 causalities.

Sindh

The number of infections has surged to 502,500 in the province, while the death toll has reached 7,694.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The confirmed cases have surged to 182,311 in the province with 5,958 casualties.

Balochistan

There are 33,705 confirmed cases while 367 patients have died from the infection so far.

AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan

There are 34,758 coronavirus cases in the AJK while the death toll has reached 749. On the other hand, there are 10,445 cases in GB with 187 coronavirus deaths.

Islamabad

There are 111,376 cases in the capital city while 969 people have lost their lives.  

Islamabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government wants to hold talks with the opposition for reforms in electoral process and judicial as well as accountability systems. 

On his official twitter handle, the federal minister said this is not possible without negotiations with the opposition. 

However, minister said, the corrupt leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is not interested to discuss any issue except relief in this cases. 

He further added that if the PML-N detaches itself from the ‘Sharif family’, it would be a positive development.  

“The political parties need to change the leadership involved in moral and financial corruption,” added minister. 

Criticizing PML-N’s Supremo, Fawad said that Nawaz Sharif left his workers behind and went to London in difficult times.

“Such a leader not considered respectful,” he said.

اگر نون لیگ شریف فیملی سے خود کو علیحدہ کرتی ہے تو یہ ایک مثبت پیش رفت ہو گی، سیاسی جماعتوں کو اخلاقی اور مالی کرپشن کا شکار قیادت کو بدلنے کی ضرورت ہے نواز شریف ہر مشکل وقت میں کارکنوں کو تنہا چھوڑ کر لندن پناہ گیر ہو گئے ایسے لیڈر کی عزت نہیں رہتی

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) January 17, 2022