ISLAMABAD: The number of active cases of Covid-19 has reduced by 75 per cent and admissions to hospitals have dropped four times in the country over the past two months.

However, as many as 698 persons were infected with Covid-19 and nine succumbed to the virus over the past 24 hours. The national positivity now stands at 1.65pc.

Data released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed that the number of active cases was 23,940 as of Oct 25. Just two months ago, the number of active patients was around 90,000.

According to the data, 1,591 patients of the virus were hospitalised across the country on Monday. In August, the number of Covid-19 patients was 6,000.

A total of 218 ventilators are now in use across the country. Similarly, the situation of oxygen beds has also improved.

In Pakistan, 1,269,234 cases of coronavirus have so far been reported out of which 1,216,908 patients have recovered and 28,386 died.

The country has so far conducted over 20 million tests of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan has said Pakistan is very close to eradicating poliovirus.

“We have been doing efforts to eradicate the crippling disease since 1994, but now we should not waste this golden opportunity to become a polio-free country. Despite difficulties due to Covid-19, the virus has been controlled in Pakistan. It happened because of a number of successful polio drives launched across the country,” he said while chairing a meeting.

He assured the participants of the meeting that all possible resources would be used to eradicate poliovirus.

It is worth mentioning that during the current year only one case of polio has so far been reported in the country. This case was found in Balochistan. In 2020, 84 cases of polio were detected in the country and the figure in 2019 was 147.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five. It invades the nervous system, and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease.

Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, his or her protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio free.

There are only two countries in the world — Pakistan and Afghanistan — where polio cases are still reported.

Pakistan remains under a polio-linked travel restriction imposed by the World Health Organisation due to which, since 2014, every person travelling abroad has to carry a polio vaccination certificate.