Another 27 people have lost their lives to coronavirus whereas 979 were infected during the last 24 hours (Tuesday) across Pakistan, showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday morning.

As per the latest NCOC statistics, with the addition of 27 new deaths the toll has now soared to 22,281 whereas the total number of cases has now reached 957,371 after adding 979 new ones.

During the past 24 hours (Tuesday), 1,499 people recovered from Covid-19 taking the number of total recoveries to 903,484 and the total count of active cases was recorded at 31,606.

As many as 337,052 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 346,180 in Punjab, 137,951 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 82,652 in Islamabad, 27,145 in Balochistan, 20,293 in Azad Kashmir, and 6,098 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Moreover, 10,747 individuals have so far lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab, 5,440 in Sindh, 4,316 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 777 in Islamabad, 582 in Azad Kashmir, 308 in Balochistan and 111 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Eidul Azha guidelines

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination has issued guidelines for Eidul Azha in line with the government’s coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs).

According to the government, the document has been issued to provide health guidelines to the general public as well as buyers and sellers to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 through social distancing and preventive measures during the slaughtering of animals and during Eid prayers on the occasion of Eid ul Azha.

With regards to the Eid prayers, the guidelines said that while the Eidgah is an open-air space outside a mosque or other open grounds where Eid prayers are performed, if these places get crowded with worshippers, it can accelerate the spread of Covid-19.

“These guidelines propose measures to ensure continued and uninterrupted prayers for Muslims on Eid-ul-Azha while minimising the risk of acquiring and transmitting infection,” it said.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Russia new record deaths -

Russia records its highest daily death toll since the outbreak of the pandemic as it grapples with a spike in infections spurred by the highly contagious Delta variant, days before Saint Petersburg hosts a Euro 2020 quarter-final in front of thousands of fans.

Health Minister Mikhail Murashko says that 151,000 people in Russia are currently in hospital with the coronavirus and that the "situation is tense, especially in large cities".

- Three billion jabs -

More than three billion Covid-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, an AFP tally finds. 

High-income countries have administered an average of 79 doses per 100 inhabitants, with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrein and Israel taking the lead. In low-income nations, the figure is just one shot per 100 people.

- Russia to miss vaccine target -

The Kremlin concedes that Russia will not reach its 60 percent vaccination target by the end of summer.

- G20 urges cooperation -

The United States leads calls at a G20 meeting for greater global cooperation in light of the pandemic, while China calls on "able countries to avoid export restrictions or excessive hoarding" of vaccines.

- India authorises Moderna -

India authorises the emergency use of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine, the fourth to be approved by New Delhi, as it seeks to ramp up inoculations.

- UAE curbs on unvaccinated -

The UAE capital Abu Dhabi says it will allow only vaccinated people in many public places, including schools, malls and restaurants, from August 20 in an effort to combat the pandemic.

- 2.5 million jabs for Bangladesh -

The United States begins shipping 2.5 million doses of Moderna's Covid vaccine to Bangladesh, as the South Asian country confronts a wave of new infections, a White House official says.

- Rwanda closes schools -

Rwanda closes schools in the capital Kigali and eight other virus hotspots for two weeks starting July 1, after flare-ups in recent weeks following the emergence of new variants.

- Ireland delays indoor dining -

Ireland will delay lifting indoor dining restrictions, planned for July 5, prime minister Micheal Martin says, blaming the pause on the new Delta variant.

- 3.9 million dead - 

The pandemic has killed at least 3,932,561 people since the virus first emerged in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data at 1000 GMT Tuesday.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 604,115 deaths, followed by Brazil with 514,092, India with 397,637, Mexico 232,608 and Peru with 192,163.

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

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

 

With inputs from AFP.