Maryam Nawaz tests positive for Covid-19

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Saturday that she has tested positive for Covid-19 after back-to-back election rallies ahead of the Punjab by-elections tomorrow.

"Covid positive," she shared in a short tweet.

The PML-N leader has addressed several rallies in recent days as part of the party's campaign for the upcoming by-polls in Punjab.

This is not the first time she has contracted the coronavirus. She previously tested positive in July last year.

Since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan in February 2020, several top politicians and government officials have tested positive, including President Arif Alvi, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. They have since recovered.

Health experts have cautioned of a sixth coronavirus wave and stressed that there is a dire need for people to resume wearing face masks and maintain social distancing at public places to prevent the fast transmission of the new variants.

During the last 24 hours, the country reported 737 new cases and 10 fatalities. The positivity rate was recorded at 3.3 per cent.