Pakistan has reported four deaths and 322 infections from coronavirus pandemic during the last 24 hours (Thursday).

According to the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday morning, after the addition of four new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,898 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,292,728 after adding the fresh 322 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Thursday), a total of 47,811 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 0.67 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 652.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1474184767449014274

 During the last 24 hours (Thursday), as many as 197 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,254,301. As of Friday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 9,529.

As many as 480,077 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 444,438 in Punjab, 181,121 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 108,392 in Islamabad, 33,617 in Balochistan, 34,654 in Azad Kashmir and 10,429 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,062 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,658 in Sindh, 5,919 in KP, 964 in Islamabad, 745 in Azad Kashmir, 363 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Nearly 120,000 UK cases -

The United Kingdom sets another daily Covid-19 infections record, fuelled by the Omicron variant. Some 119,789 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, a day after figures exceeded 100,000 for the first time.

- Omicron hospital risk 70 percent lower: agency -

The risk of hospitalisation is up to 70 percent lower among people infected with the Omicron variant compared with previously dominant Delta, a UK government agency says.

- China locks down city of 13 million -

Thirteen million people in the northern Chinese city of Xi’an come under strict stay-at-home orders, as authorities scramble to keep their zero-Covid-19 case strategy six weeks ahead of the Winter Olympics.

- Catalonia curfew -

Catalonia becomes the first Spanish region to reimpose a night-time curfew, starting Christmas Eve for 15 days, after a court approves the measure.

- Italy, Greece move on masks - 

Italy contemplates imposing face masks outdoors nationwide, as Greece makes them compulsory both indoors and outside during Christmas and New Year's gatherings.

- US nod to Merck pill -

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorises Merck's Covid pill for high risk adults, a day after a similar pill by Pfizer is given the green light.

- World stocks rebound -

World stock markets rebound from Monday's sharp sell-off, on fading fears over both the Omicron coronavirus variant and elevated inflationary pressures.

- Lufthansa axes 33,000 flights -

German national carrier Lufthansa says it will cut its winter flight plan by "about 10 percent" as the spread of Omicron fuels uncertainty about travel.

- Scotland closes nightclubs -

Scotland announces that it will close nightclubs from next week to fight the spread of Covid-19.

- More Premier League postponements -

Liverpool's clash with Leeds and Watford's trip to Wolves bring to 12 the number of Premier League games postponed in the past two weeks due to coronavirus outbreaks.

- More than 5.3 million dead - 

The coronavirus has killed at least 5,376,527 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally Thursday from official sources compiled by AFP.

The United States has suffered the most Covid-related deaths with 812,069, followed by Brazil with 618,091, India with 478,759 and Russia with 301,271.

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.