Islamabad, Oct 30 (IANS): Pakistan's Covid-19 positivity rate has exceeded the 3 per cent mark after more than 70 days, a Minister revealed.
"After more than 70 days the national Covid-19 positivity ratio was higher than 3 per cent yesterday. (The) NCOC has tightened restrictions on some high risk public activities," Dawn news quoted Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar as saying in a tweet on Thursday.
"However, the rising spread of the disease can only be controlled if people believe in the need for precautions," he added.
The development comes after the government on Wednesday decided that commercial centres in 11 worst-hit cities will shut by 10 p.m. and parks will close at 6 p.m.
The positivity rate is calculated by dividing the number of people who test positive for the coronavirus with the number of tests conducted in 24 hours.
In July, the country's positivity rate dropped to less than 2 per cent, but it started increasing last month.
The highest positivity rate was 23 per cent in July and the minimum was reported at 1.7 per cent in September, Dawn news reported.
According to data of the National Command and Operation Centre, as many as 908 people tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday with 16 new deaths.
The new tallies increased Pakistan's overall caseload and death toll to 331,581 and 6,784, respectively.