Another 39 people lost their lives to the coronavirus whereas 1,043 fresh cases were reported across Pakistan during the last 24 hours (Thursday), showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday morning.

As per the latest NCOC statistics, after the addition of 39 more deaths, the toll has now soared to 21,913 whereas the number of confirmed cases stood now at 946,227.

The coronavirus positivity ration has now fallen to 1.90 percent.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1405724359977746448

The new infections emerged as 54,647 tests were conducted during the said period.

With 1,410 recoveries over the past 24 hours (Thursday), the total number of recovered patients has now reached 888,505, while the total number of tests to diagnose the pandemic is recorded at 14,026,336.

Punjab remained the worst-hit province as 344,641 cases have been reported so far since the pandemic outbreak. Sindh followed with 330,552 cases, according to the NCOC dashboard.

As many as 136,663 COVID-19 cases have so far been detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 82,278 in Islamabad, 26,466 Balochistan, 19,868 Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 5,759 cases have been recorded in Gilgit Baltistan.

According to the NCOC, during the last 24 hours, most deaths occurred in Punjab and Sindh. Out of 46 deaths during the last 24 hours, 18 died on ventilators. A total of 945,184 cases have been detected so far (AJK 19844, Balochistan 26409, GB 5745, ICT 82253, KP 136474, Punjab 344512, Sindh 329947). Of 21874 deaths, Sindh reported 5292, Punjab 10586, KP 4247, ICT 773, Balochistan 297, GB 108, and AJK 571.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Tokyo to lift emergency -

A virus state of emergency in Tokyo and several other regions will be lifted on June 20, just over a month before the Olympics, but the government will implement other measures until July 11 including limiting alcohol sales.

- African 'third wave' -

Coronavirus infections in Africa are surging as a full blown third wave of the pandemic gathers pace on the continent, fuelled by the spread of more contagious variants, the World Health Organization says.

- 2.5 billion doses -

More than 2.5 billion doses of anti-Covid vaccines have been administered around the world, according to an AFP tally based on official sources.

However while rich countries have jabbed an average of 72 doses per 100 inhabitants, first and second doses combined, poorer countries have only injected one per 100.

- British cases back above 10,000 -

Britain records 11,007 new daily coronavirus cases, with the emergence of the Delta variant pushing the figure above 10,000 for the first time since late February. The death rate remains low, with 19 fatalities recorded. 

- All vaccine options -

EU states must use all the vaccine options available to fight the pandemic, the European Medicines Agency says, as several countries limit the use of so-called viral vector jabs like AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

- 'New variants' in Moscow -

New variants of Covid-19 are suspected of causing a sudden jump in the number of cases in Moscow, the mayor Sergei Sobyanin says, after daily new cases soar from 3,000 to 7,000 within a few days.

- Madrid deaths soar -

The number of deaths from all causes in the Madrid region, the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in Spain, jumped 41 percent in 2020 over the previous year, official figures show.

- $3.2 bn treatment plan -

The administration of US President Joe Biden announces plans to spend $3.2 billion to accelerate the development and discovery of antiviral treatments against Covid-19 and future threats.

- Surge at US embassy -

The US embassy in Kabul orders strict confinement of personnel over a surge in Covid cases at the mission where 114 people have been infected and one has died, with several others medically evacuated.

- Kuwait allows in foreigners -

Kuwait announces it will allow foreigners who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus to enter the country from August 1, after a months-long suspension.

- 3.8 million dead -

The pandemic has killed at least 3,835,238 people worldwide since the virus first emerged in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data. 

The US is the worst-affected country with 600,653 deaths, followed by Brazil with 493,693, India with 381,903, Mexico with 230,624, Peru with 189,522 and Russia with 127,992.

The figures are based on reports by health authorities in each country, but do not take into account upward revisions carried out later by statistical bodies. 

The WHO says up to three times more people have died directly or indirectly due to the pandemic than official figures suggest.

With inputs from AFP.

Details to follow…..