Another 24 people have lost their lives to coronavirus whereas 1,277 were infected during the last 24 hours (Thursday) across Pakistan, showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday morning.

As per the latest NCOC statistics, with the addition of 24 new deaths the toll has now soared to 22,345 whereas the total number of cases has now reached 959,685 after adding 1,277 new ones.

During the past 24 hours (Thursday), as many as 1,110 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 905,430. As of Friday, the total count of active cases was recorded at 31,910 and the positivity ratio soared to 2.72 percent.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1410772650339733504

As many as 338,387 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 346,454 in Punjab, 138,179 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 82,779 in Islamabad, 27,242 in Balochistan, 20,405 in Azad Kashmir, and 6,239 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Moreover, 10,761 individuals have so far lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab, 5,478 in Sindh, 4,324 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 779 in Islamabad, 583 in Azad Kashmir, 309 in Balochistan and 111 in Gilgit Baltistan.

 GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Africa records -

The Delta variant of coronavirus is driving the pandemic forward in Africa at record speeds, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns, with infection numbers rising by a quarter week-on-week to almost 202,000 in the week that ended Sunday.

- Euro 2020 worry -

The WHO says host cities of Euro 2020 football matches need to better monitor the movement of spectators, including before they arrive and after they leave the stadiums.

- Covid passport -

An EU-wide Covid certificate for easier travel comes into force, just in time for Europe's busy summer holiday  period -- but the highly infectious Delta variant is already threatening to curtail its use.

- Portugal curfew -

Portugal, faced with a resurgence of the Covid epidemic due to the Delta variant, reestablishes a night-time curfew from Friday in 45 communes, including Lisbon.

- Double jab protection -

Two doses of the four EU- approved Covid vaccines appear to provide protection against the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the European Medicines Agency says.

- Teens leave holiday island -

A "bubble boat" carrying 118 students linked to a Covid mega-outbreak on Majorca set sail for mainland Spain, ending their confinement in a quarantine hotel on the Mediterranean island.

- Indonesia urgency -

Indonesia will impose "emergency" virus restrictions this week to battle an alarming surge in infections, President Joko Widodo says, as the country scrambles to avoid a collapse of its overwhelmed healthcare system.

- Bangladesh lockdown -

The Bangladesh army and police patrol empty streets, arresting dozens, as a strict week-long lockdown begins in the country with people confined to their homes except for emergencies and to buy essentials.

- Paramilitaries suspended -

A Pakistan province has suspended 70 paramilitary troops without pay after they refused Covid-19 vaccines, officials say.

- Kazakhstan imposes jabs -

Kazakhstan orders mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for a wide range of workers who come into contact with others after cases of the Delta variant were discovered there.

- NYC concert -

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson will star at a major concert in Central Park in August to mark New York's emergence from the Covid-19 pandemic, officials announce.

- Over 3.9 million dead - 

The pandemic has killed at least 3,949,567 people since the virus first emerged in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data at 1000 GMT Thursday.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 604,714 deaths, followed by Brazil with 518,066, India with 399,459, Mexico 233,047 and Peru with 192,331.

The figures are based on reports by health authorities in each country, but do not take into account upward revisions carried out later by statistical bodies. 

The WHO says up to three times more people have died directly or indirectly due to the pandemic than official figures suggest.

With inputs from AFP.