As the world reels from the possible impact of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, Pakistan has registered yet another eight deaths and 391 infections from the coronavirus during the last 24 hours (Thursday), showed the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday morning.

As per the NCOC data, after the addition of eight new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,753 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,286,022 after adding the fresh 391 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Thursday), a total of 46,457 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 0.84 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 895.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1466576639895109632

During the last 24 hours (Thursday), as many as 2,437 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,245,155. As of Friday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 12,114.

As many as 476,233 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 443,310 in Punjab, 180,194 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 107,811 in Islamabad, 33,491 in Balochistan, 34,570 in Azad Kashmir and 10,413 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,031 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,622 in Sindh, 5,855 in KP, 957 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:

- Germany to lock down unjabbed -

Germany will impose sweeping curbs on people not vaccinated against Covid-19, to combat the latest surge in cases, Chancellor Angela Merkel says, including bans from culture and leisure and non-essential shops.

- Tougher US travel rules -

President Joe Biden is to announce tougher rules for virus testing for travellers to the United States after the first cases of the Omicron variant are discovered there.

- Omicron could become dominant strain -

The Omicron variant of Covid-19, believed to be more contagious than previous strains, could cause more than half of all Covid infections in Europe in coming months, the EU health agency ECDC says.

- 'Health apartheid' -

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warns against the risk of "health apartheid" as he takes aim at travel bans imposed on his country after it detected the new Omicron variant of Covid.

- Oil producers defy variant jitters -

Major oil producers decide to keep raising output levels in January, despite the Omicron coronavirus variant raising fresh questions over demand.

- Norway tightens up in Oslo -

Norway introduces new anti-Covid measures in greater Oslo after a suspected cluster of Omicron cases emerges among dozens of vaccinated people at a Christmas dinner.

- Canadian deer infected -

Canada confirms its first cases of coronavirus in wildlife -- in three white-tailed deer.

- More than 5.2 million dead - 

The coronavirus has killed at least 5,223,072 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Thursday. 

The US has suffered the most Covid-related deaths with 782,100, followed by Brazil with 614,964, India with 469,724, Mexico with 294,428 and Russia with 277,640.

Also Read: Germany cracks down on unjabbed as US eyes battle against Omicron

The countries with the most new deaths are the US with 2,015, followed by Russia with 1,221 and Ukraine with 525.

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.