Another 46 people lost their lives due to coronavirus whereas 2,338 new infections were reported 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 statistics, with the addition of the 46 new fatalities, the death toll has now surged to 13,476 while the number of total confirmed cases stood at 569,296, after adding 2,338 new infections.

During the past 24 hours (Saturday), 1,231 patients have recovered from the Covid-19 while the number of total recoveries across Pakistan stood at 569,296. The total count of active cases was 19,764.

As many as 260,959 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 183,815 in Punjab, 75,357 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 47,365 in Islamabad, 19,188 in Balochistan, 10,892 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 4,960 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

As many as 5,732 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab, 4,453 in Sindh, 2,147 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 522 in Islamabad, 317 in Azad Kashmir, 202 in Balochistan and 103 in Gilgit Baltistan.

A total of 42,164 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours (Saturday) while 9,360,202 samples have been tested so far.

Global developments

These are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- One billion doses -

India is to manufacture at least one billion more Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2022 in a joint initiative announced with the United States, Japan and Australia at a four-way summit.

The White House says the plan by Indian company Biological E Ltd. to "produce at least one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of 2022," will focus on the one-dose Johnson & Johnson jab.

- Astra anxieties -

The World Health Organization insists there is no reason to stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine after several countries postpone or limit its rollout amid blood clot fears.

But Europe's drug regulator says allergies should be added to the possible side effects of the vaccine after likely links were found to a number of cases in Britain.

- Italy lockdown -

Italy announces a partial lockdown for much of the country from Monday following a fresh surge in infections of coronavirus that will see schools, restaurants, bars and museums closed.

The populous northern regions including Lombardy, which surrounds Milan, as well as others including Lazio, which surrounds Rome, will be designated "red zones".

- WHO greenlights J&J - 

The World Health Organization approves the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine for emergency use, after already authorising the jabs made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca.

- Kenya extends curfew -

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta extends an evening curfew for another 60 days, as he  warns of a third wave of infections, saying the positivity rate had risen from two percent in January, to 13 percent and "is still rising".

- Disneyland remains closed -

Disneyland says it will not be able to reopen as planned on April 2 because of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

- 2.6 million dead -

At least 2,630,768 people have died of coronavirus around the world since the outbreak began in December 2019, an AFP tally from official sources showed on Friday. 

The US is the worst-affected country with 530,821 deaths followed by Brazil (272,889), Mexico (193,142), India (158,306) and Britain (125,168).

North America recorded a decrease in the number of new Covid-19 cases last week, but they rose in the rest of the world, according to a specialised AFP database.

With inputs from AFP.