Pakistan has registered another 6,357 coronavirus infections and 17 deaths during the last 24 hours (Monday) amid fresh wave of Covid-19 in the country triggered by the Omicron variant, showed the figures released by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday morning.

As per the NCOC data, after the addition of 17 new deaths which were eight a day earlier, the overall toll has now surged to 29,122 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,381,152 after adding the fresh 6,357 cases. Pakistan had reported 7,195 infections a day earlier.

During the last 24 hours (Monday), 49,595 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 12.81 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 1,200.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1485785025211682816

During the last 24 hours (Monday), as many as 556 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,269,634. As of Tuesday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 82,396.

As many as 529,218 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 466,164 in Punjab, 185,683 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 120,128 in Islamabad, 33,975 in Balochistan, 35,474 in Azad Kashmir and 10,510 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,117 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,746 in Sindh, 5,977 in KP, 976 in Islamabad, 752 in Azad Kashmir, 367 in Balochistan and 187 in Gilgit Baltistan.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- It could end within year: WHO -

The Covid emergency could end this year, the global head of the World Health Organization says, even though last week the virus killed someone every 12 seconds.

"We can end Covid-19 as a global health emergency and we can do it this year," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insists, if everyone has access to vaccines and treatment.

- X'ian lockdown ends -

One of China's longest lockdowns in the northern city of X'ian comes to an end after its 13 million residents were confined to their homes on December 22.

- England to drop arrival tests -

The UK government is set to drop compulsory coronavirus tests for those arriving in England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says, as he continues to lift curbs amid declining infections.

- France vaccine pass starts -

France's vaccine pass requiring people to be vaccinated to enter bars, restaurants, trains and planes comes into force after a fierce fight over details of the law in parliament.

- Respite for Premier League -

The Premier League says it has recorded its lowest number of positive coronavirus tests, 16, since the start of December as cases fall for a fourth successive week.

- Nearly 5.6 million dead -

The coronavirus has killed at least 5,593,747 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Monday.

The US has recorded the most Covid deaths with 866,540, followed by Brazil with 623,097, India on 489,848 and Russia 326,112.

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.