The single-day coronavirus infections and positivity ratio took another hit in Pakistan as the Covid-19 cases have sharply dropped to nearly 250 reducing the confirmation to a little over half a percent.

According to the latest statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday morning, Pakistan has reported another 11 deaths and 231 infections from the coronavirus pandemic during the last 24 hours (Friday). 

As per the NCOC data, after the addition of 11 new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,595 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,279,373 after adding the fresh 231 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Friday), a total of 33,862 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 0.68 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 1,119.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1459372741765877766

During the last 24 hours (Friday), as many as 460 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,227,688. As of Saturday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 23,090.

As many as 473,081 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 441,720 in Punjab, 179,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 107,275 in Islamabad, 33,391 in Balochistan, 34,506 in Azad Kashmir and 10,400 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 12,972 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,600 in Sindh, 5,790 in KP, 948 in Islamabad, 741 in Azad Kashmir, 358 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- 10 EU nations causing 'very high concern' -
Ten countries in the 27-member European Union face a Covid situation of "very high concern", the bloc's diseases agency says, warning the pandemic is worsening across the continent.

In its weekly risk assessment, the European Centre for Disease Control lists Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia in its highest category of concern.

- 'Partial lockdown' in Netherlands -
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announces Western Europe's first partial lockdown of the winter, with three weeks of Covid curbs on restaurants, shops and sporting events, as cases hit record levels.

- Germans told to skip big parties -
Germans should avoid large gatherings amid a record surge in infections, the country's health agency chief says, adding that he would be skipping New Year's parties.

- Russia to introduce health passes - 
The Russian government has submitted two bills to parliament that will introduce mandatory health passes to access restaurants and public transport, amid a new wave of coronavirus cases.

With more than 8.9 million cases registered since the start of the pandemic, Russia is one of the worst-hit countries in the world and a devastating wave this autumn has seen infections and deaths reach new records.

- Norway goes back to curbs -
Norway is reintroducing virus curbs short of a lockdown and authorising towns to use health passes as it tries to stop a spike in cases.

- Austria plans lockdown for the unvaccinated -
Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg says he wants to introduce a nationwide lockdown for those not vaccinated against or recovered from the coronavirus, as cases hit record highs.

Only around 65 percent of the population is fully vaccinated in Austria, a rate described by Schallenberg as "shamefully low".

- WHO urges more targeted vaccination efforts -
The World Health Organization calls for more targeted vaccination efforts to ensure the most vulnerable worldwide get the jabs.

"It makes no sense to give boosters to healthy adults, or to vaccinate children, when health workers, older people and other high-risk groups around the world are still waiting for their first dose," says WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

- APEC to cut vaccine tariffs -
Pacific Rim leaders agree, at a virtual summit, to cut tariffs on Covid-19 vaccines and other pandemic-related medical supplies to streamline the international response to the deadly health crisis.

- More than five million dead - 
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,078,208 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Friday. 

The US has suffered the most Covid-related deaths with 759,677, followed by Brazil with 610,224, India with 462,690, Mexico  290,630 and Russia  252,926.

The countries with the most new deaths were Russia with 1,235, followed by the US with 815 and Ukraine with 750.

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.