Pakistan says it registered 898 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the biggest jump in daily cases since mid-October, according to official data.  

Islamabad, January 5 (RHC)-- Pakistan says it registered 898 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the biggest jump in daily cases since mid-October, according to official data.  There were five deaths recorded on Tuesday, according to the data, taking the official death toll since the pandemic began to 28,950.

Asad Hashim, Al Jazeera’s Islamabad correspondent, says authorities are warning of the beginning of a fifth wave of the virus.  Earlier this week, Planning Minister Asad Umar, who is heading the government’s COVID-19 response efforts, warned that genomic sequencing had shown that the new cases appeared to be driven by Omicron.

As of Wednesday, Pakistan has tightened incoming air travel protocols to require all incoming passengers to show proof of both a negative PCR COVID test and of being fully vaccinated, with exemptions for certain medical conditions, deportees and children. 

All incoming passengers from Europe will also face a rapid antigen test on arrival in Pakistan, with half of all passengers coming from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar also facing such testing.