Pakistan has recorded another eight deaths and 377 infections 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 eight new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,745 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,285,631 after adding the fresh 377 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), a total of 44,137 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 0.85 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 904.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1466213822042050561

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), as many as 364 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,242,718. As of Thursday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 14,168.

As many as 476,017 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 443,240 in Punjab, 180,146 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 107,765 in Islamabad, 33,488 in Balochistan, 34,563 in Azad Kashmir and 10,412 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,028 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,622 in Sindh, 5,851 in KP, 956 in Islamabad, 742 in Azad Kashmir, 360 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- EU floats compulsory jabs -
It is time to "think about mandatory vaccination", says European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen as infections soar across the bloc. German MPs are pondering making jabs compulsory by the end of the year.

- Children's shots in two weeks -
BioNTech/Pfizer vaccines will be available for children in the EU by December 13, says Von der Leyen.

- OECD: Omicron to slow growth -
The OECD says the Omicron variant threatens global recovery as it lowers the economic growth outlook for 2021 to 5.6 percent. It calls for a swifter rollout of vaccines, fearing the emergence of "breeding grounds" for deadlier strains.

- First Gulf case -
Saudi Arabia records the Gulf's first confirmed case of the Omicron variant in a citizen returning from North Africa.

- Japan tightens travel ban -
Japan asks airlines to stop taking incoming flight bookings for a month over Omicron concerns as a second traveller tests positive.

- Djokovic jab 'blackmail' -
Australian Open organisers say they are not trying to "blackmail" tennis world number one Novak Djokovic by insisting all players are vaccinated. The Serbian refuses to say if he has been jabbed.

- Fiji reopens -
Grass-skirted traditional dancers welcome holidaymakers back to Fiji as the South Pacific nation opens its borders to travellers for the first time since the pandemic began.

- Chinese city halts imports -
The northern Chinese city of Manzhouli bordering Russia halts rail imports including coal and timber over fears of a fresh cluster of infections.

- Rugby stars stranded -
Fourteen of the touring Munster rugby squad are forced to quarantine in Cape Town, as the rest return to Ireland where they face 10 days in isolation. Two members of the Cardiff touring party who test positive are also forced to stay behind.

- More than 5.2 million dead - 
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,214,847 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Wednesday. 

The United States has suffered the most Covid-related deaths with 780,233, followed by Brazil with 614,681, India with 469,247, Mexico with 294,246 and Russia with 276,419.

The countries with the most new deaths are the US with 1,809, followed by Russia with 1,226 and Poland with 570. 

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

With inputs from AFP.