Health

BORDEAUX: France and Britain suffered soaring temperatures on Wednesday, edging closer to the blistering heat already engulfing Spain and Portugal as wildfires destroyed vast stretches of Western European forestland. Large parts of the Iberian Peninsula have seen temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) this week. In southwestern France a wildfire raging since Tuesday had ripped through 1,000 hectares …

ISLAMABAD: As the number of tests for Covid-19 has increased by three times, the positivity rate of cases has gone down across the country. The data released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed that 236 people were infected by the virus and the positivity rate was 1.55pc. The data further revealed that 15,191 Covid-19 tests were performed …

LONDON: The euro struck parity with the dollar for the first time in nearly 20 years on Tuesday as a cut in Russian gas supplies to Europe heightened fears of a recession in the eurozone. The European single currency hit exactly one dollar — its lowest level since December 2002 — before bouncing back to as high as $1.0070. Oil …

World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was worried that coronavirus case numbers were shooting up, putting more strain on health systems and workers. The number of Covid cases reported to the WHO increased 30 per cent in the past two weeks, driven by sub-variants of the Omicron strain and the lifting of control measures. “New waves …

ISLAMABAD: The country reported 693 Covid-19 cases on Friday, with the national positivity rate touching 3.28 per cent, according to official statistics. The data released by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) showed that 21,137 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours. The number of patients on critical care remained unchanged at 165. However, the city-wise positivity ratio …

Huge crowds of pilgrims started praying on Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat early on Friday, the high point of the biggest Haj pilgrimage since the pandemic forced drastic cuts in numbers for two years in a row. The worshippers, capped at one million including 850,000 from abroad chosen by lottery, spent the night at camps in the valley of Mina, seven kilometres from …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan seems to be moving towards a sixth wave of Covid-19 after a gap of more than four months, as the country reported nine deaths on Thursday. Moreover, 872 infections were reported. However, the national positivity rate, which had been more than four per cent for the last one week, dropped to 3.77pc as the number of tests carried …

ISLAMABAD: With tourism expected to peak during the Eidul Azha holidays, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has advised travelers to exercise caution, check weather forecasts and pre-book their accommodations. An advisory issued on Wednesday stated that the Covid-19 cases were rising once again and therefore, tourists should strictly adhere to the SOPs. In the last 24 hours, as …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday reported as many as 805 fresh cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the National Institute of Health (NIH) data showed. According to the National Institute of Health, 17,150 Covid tests were conducted across the country in past 24 hours, out of which 805 turned out to be positive. The nationwide Covid-19 test positivity ratio …

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday issued new guidelines for prayers and qurbani — with masking up and social distancing among the measures — on Eidul Azha to curb the resurgent Covid-19 in the country. Pakistan has seen a spike in coronavirus cases since June, primarily attributed to the new BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron. After months of near normalcy, the new …