As the fifth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic showed signs of slowing down, Pakistan reported another 3,019 coronavirus infections and 44 deaths during the last 24 hours (Friday), showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday morning.

As per the latest NCOC data, after the addition of 44 new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 29,731 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,480,592 after adding the fresh 3,019 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Friday), 56,260 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 5.36 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 1,640.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1492307701610733570

During the last 24 hours (Friday), as many as 5,175 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,370,693. As of Saturday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 80,168.

As many as 556,772 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 494,238 in Punjab, 208,817 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 132,892 in Islamabad, 35,017 in Balochistan, 41,740 in Azad Kashmir and 11,116 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,335 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,971 in Sindh, 6,103 in KP, 996 in Islamabad, 766 in Azad Kashmir, 371 in Balochistan and 189 in Gilgit Baltistan.

 

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTs

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- State of emergency in Ontario -

Canada's Ontario province declares a state of emergency over trucker-led anti-Covid restriction protests, as Premier Doug Ford vows to do whatever it takes to end the blockades.

- French copycat trucker protest -

French President Emmanuel Macron calls for calm as thousands of people across France head towards Paris in convoys to protest Covid vaccination rules and other restrictions.

- 'Acute phase' could end by midyear -

The head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the acute phase of the pandemic could end this year, if around 70 percent of the world gets vaccinated "around June, July".

- France, Italy ease mask rules -

French coronavirus rules will no longer require people to wear masks indoors from February 28 in places which now require proof of vaccination to enter, the health ministry says, citing an "improvement in the health situation".

And Italy ends a requirement to wear masks outside, as the number of coronavirus cases eases there.

- Germany nears peak -

Germany's surge in infections is reaching its peak, Chancellor Olaf Scholz says, signalling that Europe's biggest economy can soon ease curbs.

- Belgium eases night curbs -

Belgium will reopen nightclubs and allow bars to stay open beyond midnight in a week's time, but the vaccine certificate will remain in place, Prime Minister Alexander de Croo says.

- Iceland eases up early -

Iceland announces it will ease some coronavirus restrictions at the weekend -- including limits on crowd numbers and restaurant opening hours -- before lifting all measures at the end of the month, two weeks ahead of schedule.

- US doses for Africa -

The United States ships nearly 1.9 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Mozambique, Zambia, The Republic of Congo Namibia and Eswatini in the latest surge of donations.

- Over 5.7 million deaths -

Coronavirus has killed at least 5,787,923 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Friday.

The US has recorded the most Covid deaths with 915,617, followed by Brazil with 636,017, India 507,177 and Russia 338,813.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.

 

With inputs from AFP.