Pakistan has recorded 67 more deaths and 4,745 infections by coronavirus during the last 24 hours (Thursday), showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday morning.

According to the latest NCOC statistics, after adding 67 more deaths the toll has now surged to 23,702 whereas the number of confirmed cases stood at 1,058,405 after adding the 4,745 new ones.

During the past 24 hours (Thursday), as many as 57,981 tests were conducted throughout the country whereas the positivity ratio stood at 8.18.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1423450425890512899

During the last 24 hours, as many as 2,095 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 954,711. As of Fridayday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 79,992 while the national positivity ratio stood at 8.18 percent.

As many as 394,748 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 361,458 in Punjab, 147,026 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 89,569 in Islamabad, 30,967 in Balochistan, 26,086 in Azad Kashmir and 8,551 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 11,141 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 6,126 in Sindh, 4,507 in KP, 809 in Islamabad, 639 in Azad Kashmir, 330 in Balochistan, and 150 in Gilgit Baltistan.

On Wednesday, the Balochistan government declared Gwadar the worst district affected due to the coronavirus as the positivity rate soared to a staggering 58 percent in the region.

Province’s health department said that the pandemic positivity rate has reached an alarming situation as 58 percent of the tests are coming positive for the COVID-19 in Gwadar. As many as 164 people are quarantined in the area, the health department said and added that nine people have lost their lives.

 GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- 200 million cases -

More than 200 million cases of Covid-19 have been registered worldwide since the novel coronavirus emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.

- Two billion doses -

China will "strive to provide" two billion Covid-19 vaccine doses to the world this year and donate $100 million to the international vaccine distribution system Covax, President Xi Jinping says.

- French health pass -

France's top constitutional authority approves a Covid pass that limits access to cafes, restaurants and inter-city trains and planes to people who have been vaccinated or tested negative for the virus.

- ...And Quebec -

Quebec also announces it will introduce a vaccine passport, the first in Canada, to counter a fourth wave of the coronavirus and the spread of the Delta variant.

- Record cases in Tokyo -

Tokyo reports another large jump in virus cases, again shattering records, as the government expands restrictions to eight more regions just three days before the Olympics end.

- Six month protection -

Moderna says that protection from its Covid-19 vaccine remained strong for at least six months, and the variant-specific booster shot it is testing generated a "robust" antibody response to the Delta strain.

- Melbourne lockdown -

Rueful authorities in Melbourne announce a sixth lockdown for the city and Sydney reports a record number of new cases as Australia falters in efforts to bring a virulent Delta outbreak to heel.

- Israeli booster shots -

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says Israel will go ahead with administering Covid vaccine booster shots, despite the World Health Organization's plea for a moratorium, saying it is doing the world "a great service".

- France third shot -

France also says it will offer booster shots to the elderly and vulnerable from September, joining a growing list of countries offering third vaccine shots to fight new virus variants.

- Africa health chief -

The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control, John Nkengasong, reveals that he is battling Covid-19 but has survived the worst thanks to his jabs, urging the continent to fight vaccine hesitancy.

- Curfews -

In Spain, a curfew in Barcelona and most of Catalonia is extended for two weeks, while Greek authorities announce a curfew on the island of Zante and the Crete city of Chania.

- Over 4.2 million dead -

The coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 4,257,424 people worldwide since the virus first emerged in late 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data. 

The US is the worst-affected country with 614,785 deaths, followed by Brazil with 559,607, India 426,290, Mexico 242,547 and Peru 196,673. 

 

With inputs from AFP.