F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has registered another 21 deaths and 1,021 infections from the coronavirus pandemic during the last 24 hours (Tuesday), showed the figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday morning.
As per the NCOC statistics, after the addition of 21 new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,173 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,260,669 after adding the fresh 1,021 cases.
During the last 24 hours (Tuesday), a total of 43,578 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 2.34 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 2,257.
During the last 24 hours (Tuesday), as many as 1,683 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,191,425. As of Wednesday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 41,071.
As many as 463,703 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 436,720 in Punjab, 176,194 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 106,241 in Islamabad, 33,092 in Balochistan, 34,360 in Azad Kashmir and 10,359 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Moreover, 12,800 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,505 in Sindh, 5,657 in KP, 935 in Islamabad, 740 in Azad Kashmir, 350 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.
Global Developments
Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:
– Darkening economic prospects –
The ongoing hit from the Covid-19 pandemic and the failure to distribute vaccines worldwide is worsening the economic divide and darkening prospects for developing nations, the IMF says.
– Britain’s botched response –
A parliamentary report says the government’s delay in locking down when Covid-19 hit last year had cost lives and was “one of the most important public health failures” in the country’s history.
– French ‘vulnerabilities’ –
President Emmanuel Macron says the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed France’s dependence on foreign countries, including its failure to produce a vaccine, when announcing a 30-billion-euro ($35 billion) plan to re-industrialise the country.
– African mRNA jab –
South African biotech consortium Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines is working on a messenger RNA jab based on the Moderna formula in a ground-breaking drive to end Africa’s life-threatening lack of Covid vaccines.
– CureVac ditches jab –
Germany’s CureVac says it is no longer seeking European regulatory approval for its coronavirus vaccine, after disappointing final trial results, and will focus instead on a more promising second-generation jab.
– London’s fireworks off –
London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks show along the River Thames has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to concerns over Covid, city authorities say.
– Anti-vax basketball star barred –
The Brooklyn Nets bars star guard Kyrie Irving from practice as well as playing in games because he is refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
– Over 4.8 million dead –
The coronavirus has killed at least 4,855,208 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data on Tuesday.
The US has suffered the most Covid-related deaths at 714,060, followed by Brazil with 601,213, India 450,963, Mexico 282,227 and Russia 218,345.
Taking into account excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, the World Health Organization estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.
