July 19, 2021 KARACHI/LAHORE: The COVID-19 positivity ratio in the port city has reached 23 percent due to the presence of the Delta variant, says data released by Karachi University's International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS). Out of 90 samples tested at the ICCBS labs on July 14, the Delta variant was detected in 83 of them. Health experts say that if the cases continue to increase, the death toll in the country is also likely to get higher.Health authorities say that owing to the Delta variant, the number of coronavirus cases in Karachi is rapidly increasing, so much so that hospitals are on the verge of reaching capacity. Several hospitals in Karachi, including the Civil Hospital, had to postpone scheduled operations due to the growing number of coronavirus patients being admitted there, the report said, adding that at present, the COVID-19 positivity ratio in Karachi has reached 23 percent.