Pakistan has registered six more deaths and 302 infections from the coronavirus pandemic during the last 24 hours (Wednesday), showed the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday morning.

As per the NCOC data, after the addition of six new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,849 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,290,214 after adding the fresh 302 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), a total of 42,895 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 0.70 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 704.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1471285533284442113

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday, as many as 136 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,251,914. As of Thursday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 9,451.

As many as 478,564 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 444,032 in Punjab, 180,825 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 108,198 in Islamabad, 33,540 in Balochistan, 34,627 in Azad Kashmir and 10,428 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,053 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,640 in Sindh, 5,900 in KP, 963 in Islamabad, 744 in Azad Kashmir, 363 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Britain's record spike -

Britain records 78,610 laboratory-confirmed cases in one day, the highest daily total since the pandemic began as the country is hit hard by the Omicron variant.

- South Africa too -

South Africa -- where the strain was first spotted -- also reports its highest number of new cases ever in a single day.

- 800,000 Americans dead -

The United States passes the grim landmark of 800,000 dead -- the highest toll in the world -- and more than the entire population of several states, including Alaska and North Dakota.

- Omicron 'dominant' by January -

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warns the Omicron variant could become dominant in Europe by mid-January, but the bloc admits that vaccination alone won't stop the spread of the strain. 

- Push to jab children -

Several European nations, including Germany, Spain and Greece, start vaccinating children aged five to 11 in an effort to contain a raging pandemic and keep schools open.

- Germany's violent anti-vaxxers -

Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Germany will "defend itself" against a violent minority of anti-vaccine militants after weapons are seized in a series of raids after threats to officials.

- Outcry over Polish slogan -

Polish far-right MPs are condemned after using a slogan referencing the sign above the entrance to the Nazi Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp during an anti-vaccination rally.

- Johnson rebellion -

Nearly 100 MPs from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's party break ranks and vote against new virus restrictions in the biggest revolt of his premiership.

- Italy tightens border -

Italy will tighten restrictions for arrivals from the rest of the EU from Thursday, requiring tests for everyone and a five-day quarantine for the unvaccinated.

- J&J booster OK -

The European Medicines Agency says Johnson & Johnson's vaccine can be used as a booster shot two months after the first dose was administered, or after receiving other mRNA shots.

- Bethlehem Christmas nixed -

The variant sparks a wave of Christmas hotel cancellations in the Palestinian town where Jesus was born, scuppering hopes of a return of Christian pilgrims to the West Bank.

- Klopp's jab plea -

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says getting vaccinated is about "solidarity, loyalty and togetherness" as he reveals his whole English Premier League squad has had at least two jabs.

- Match cancelled -

Burnley's Premier League clash with Watford is called off less than three hours before kick-off because of an outbreak within the Hornets' squad.

- Rwanda shuts clubs -

Rwanda shuts nightclubs and extends quarantines for international arrivals as it detects its first six cases of the Omicron variant.

- Over 5.3 million dead - 

The coronavirus has killed at least 5,320,431 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP Wednesday at 1100 GMT. 

The US had the highest number of deaths with 800,473, followed by Brazil with 616,970, India with 476,135 and Mexico with 296,984.

The countries with the biggest increases in death rates over the last week are Switzerland (up 78 percent), Peru and Spain (up 65 percent) and Ireland (up 47 percent).

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

With inputs from AFP.