Another 67 people lost their lives to the coronavirus whereas 2,482 fresh cases were reported during the last 24 hours (Thursday) across Pakistan, showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday morning.

According to the latest figures from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the death toll has surged to 20,607 while the number of confirmed cases stands at 913,784.

During the 24 hours (Thursday), the tally of recoveries increased by 2,822 to 834,566, or 91.3 percent of total infections. There are currently 58,611 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 4,132 of them require critical care.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1398095688181944327

On Thursday, a total of 51,625 coronavirus tests were conducted and the positivity rate was recorded at 4.80 percent.

Punjab: Authorities reported 26 deaths due to the coronavirus, raising total casualties to 9,925. The province now has 337,775 confirmed cases; it reported 702 new infections after conducting 20,903 tests, a positivity ratio of 3.36 percent. There were 1,167 new recoveries recorded, leaving 307,716 fully recovered, and 20,134 active cases of the virus.

Sindh: Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh have now climbed to 314,158; it reported 1,099 new infections after administering 14,529 tests, a positivity ratio of 7.56 percent. The province reported 22 deaths, raising toll to 4,988, while its recoveries rose by 708 to 285,403. Overall, the province now has 23,767 active cases of the novel coronavirus.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: During the past 24 hours (Thursday), the provincial government recorded 384 new infections after conducting 8,110 tests, a positivity ratio of 4.73 percent. Overall, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s confirmed cases have climbed to 131,411. It recorded 16 new deaths and 305 recoveries, raising toll to 4,025 and recoveries to 121,822. There are currently 5,564 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

Balochistan: The province raised its confirmed cases to 24,908 with 85 new infections after administering 1,450 tests for a positivity ratio of 5.86 percent. There were no deaths and 24 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 273 fatalities and 23,525 fully recovered. There are now 1,110 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

Islamabad: The federal capital raised its confirmed coronavirus cases by 148 to 80,927 after conducting 5,273 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.81 percent. There were 2 deaths and 526 recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving 753 casualties; 73,743 recovered; and 6,431 active cases.

GB: Gilgit Baltistan recorded 12 new cases of COVID-19 after conducting 490 tests, a positivity ratio of 2.45 percent; it now has 5,545 confirmed cases. The region reported no new deaths and 2 recoveries, leaving 107 fatalities and 5,326 fully recovered people. There are currently 112 active cases of COVID-19 in the region.

AJK: In Azad Kashmir, confirmed cases rose by 52 to 19,060 after administering 870 tests, a positivity ratio of 5.98 percent. There was 1 death and 90 recoveries in the past 24 hours, leaving 536 fatalities and 17,031 fully recovered. It now has 1,493 active cases of COVID-19.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Johnson hits back -

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denies overseeing the needless deaths of many thousands of Covid patients, after his former chief adviser Dominic Cummings called him "unfit for the job" and said Health Secretary Matt Hancock was a serial liar.

- Vietnam jabs factory workers -

Vietnam begins vaccinating hundreds of thousands of factory workers in its industrialised north to combat its largest Covid-19 outbreak so far, days after the country reported a daily record in new cases.

- EU backs Tokyo Olympics -

The bloc gives its backing to a "safe and secure" Olympic Games despite calls for the event in Japan in July to be cancelled due to the pandemic. 

- Nepal vaccine plea -

Nepal's prime minister calls on the international community to supply the Himalayan nation with nearly 40 million Covid-19 shots to combat a new wave of infections that has overwhelmed hospitals.

- Sweden maps out easing -

Sweden's government announces a plan to ease Covid-19 restrictions, starting on June 1 but without a firm date for a complete reopening.

- Cyprus eases curbs -

Cyprus announces it will ease restrictions to stem the spread of coronavirus on June 10, including lifting a seven-month-long curfew and opening nightclubs.

- US jobless at pandemic low -

New filings for US unemployment benefits slid lower for a fourth straight week, reaching a new pandemic low as Covid-19 vaccines help the economy rebound, the government says.

- Facebook U-turn -

Facebook reverses its policy banning posts suggesting the Covid-19 was man-made, highlighting the challenge of policing misinformation and disinformation on the world's largest social network.

- 3.5 million dead -

The pandemic has killed at least 3,500,321 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 591,957 deaths, followed by Brazil with 454,429, India with 315,235, Mexico with 222,232 and Britain with 127,748.

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

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

With inputs from AFP.