Pakistan recorded another 79 deaths and 3,980 infections by coronavirus pandemic during the last 24 hours (Friday), showed the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday morning.

As per the NCOC figures, after the addition of 79 new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 26,114 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,175,558 after adding the fresh 3,980 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Friday), a total of 64,053 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 6.21 percent.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1433974993252229125

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Anti-vaxx clashes -
Anti-vaccination protesters clash with police in London as some try to storm the offices of the UK regulator that approves vaccines, with police saying four officers were hurt.

- EU and AstraZeneca settle dispute -
The European Union and UK-based drugs giant AstraZeneca announce that they have reached a settlement in a dispute over a shortfall in vaccine deliveries.

- Delta in Niger -
The first cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19 have been recorded in Niger, which until now has been relatively spared in the pandemic.

- Air quality blip -
Pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions caused dramatic but short-lived improvements in air quality and drops in pollution, the UN says.

- Singapore booster shots -
Singapore will start giving coronavirus vaccine booster shots to the elderly and those with weak immune systems as cases rise despite high inoculation rates.

- US hiring slumps -
The United States added far fewer jobs than expected in August as businesses grappled with the Delta wave of Covid-19.

- No shots for 12-15s advice -
The UK government's independent advisory body on vaccines says it will not recommend jabbing all 12- to 15-year-olds against coronavirus, arguing the benefits were "too small".

- Malaysian holiday island to reopen -
The island of Langkawi will this month become the first Malaysian holiday hotspot to reopen to domestic travellers, kicking off efforts to revive the coronavirus-battered tourism industry.

- More than 4.5 million dead -
The coronavirus has killed at least 4,539,397 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data. 

The US is the worst-affected country with 643,669 deaths, followed by Brazil with 581,914, India with 439,895, Mexico 261,496 and Peru 198,364.

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were the US with 1,549, followed by Mexico with 993 and Russia with 799.  

With input from AFP.