Another 39 people lost their lives to the coronavirus whereas 1,780 fresh infections were reported during the last 24 hours (Saturday), showed the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday morning.

As per the latest NCOC figures, with the addition of 39 fatalities, the death toll has now surged to 13,205 while the number of total confirmed cases stood at 590,508, after adding 1,780 new ones.

During the past 24 hours (Saturday), 1,038 patients have recovered from the Covid-19 while the number of total recoveries stood at 559,248. The total count of active cases across Pakistan was 18,055.

As many as 259,666 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 177,008 in Punjab, 73,708 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 45,519 in Islamabad, 19,114 in Balochistan, 10,534 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and 4,959 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

As many as 5,552 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 4,424 in Sindh, 2,109 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 508 in Islamabad, 309 in Azad Kashmir, 201 in Balochistan and 102 in Gilgit Baltistan.

A total of 38,887 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours (Saturday) while 9,212,480 samples have been tested so far.

Global developments

These are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Stimulus plan -

The US Senate approves a fiercely debated $1.9 trillion relief package that President Joe Biden vows will revive the country's pandemic-stricken economy.

Passed by 50 votes to 49 in a party-line vote, it now heads back to the Democratic-majority House of Representatives.

- Presidents vaccinated -

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari and Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro are both vaccinated, in a bid to lead by example as their countries' inoculation campaigns get underway.

- Sweden arrests -

Swedish police arrest two people and six officers are injured during clashes on the fringes of a banned protest against coronavirus restrictions.

Several hundred people staged Saturday's protest in central Stockholm to denounce the government's handling of the pandemic as well as media coverage of the crisis.

- French weekend curfew -

After the Mediterranean city of Nice and the Channel port of Dunkirk, the northern region of Pas-de-Calais enters a weekend lockdown to try to slow the soaring caseload there.

Police in Paris meanwhile close off the banks of the Seine as people out to enjoy the sunshine ignore social distancing guidelines.

- Mega-attractions to open -

California's state health department announces plans to allow ballparks, stadiums and mega-attractions including Disneyland, Magic Mountain and Universal Studios to admit visitors from April 1, depending on conditions in their county and at reduced capacities.

New Yorkers meanwhile head back to movie theatres a year after the pandemic shut them down.

- Warning on women -

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warns that the pandemic risks rolling back progress made on gender equality, as women take on the lion's share of childcare in lockdown and are more likely to work in at-risk jobs.

"Once again it's more often women who have to master the balancing act between homeschooling, childcare and their own jobs," she says.

- Paraguay protests -

Shops are ransacked and cars set on fire as protests break out in Paraguay's capital Asuncion over the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis. 

AFP estimates around 20 people are injured after police use tear gas and rubber bullets at the protests late Friday.

Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni reveals he has submitted his resignation after days of attacks from lawmakers and health workers' unions.

- DIY tests -

Germans flock to supermarket chain Aldi to snap up the first rapid coronavirus tests to go on sale nationwide, with stocks selling out within hours.

Rival discounter Lidl sees its website crash after it started offering at-home testing kits for sale online.

- EU-US talks -

The EU will open talks with Washington on Monday to ensure its supply of US-made materials for coronavirus vaccines, a European source tells AFP -- items currently under tough export restrictions.

- 2.58 million dead -

More than 2,581,040 people have died of coronavirus worldwide since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 522,879 deaths, followed by Brazil (262,770), Mexico (189,578), India (157,656) and Britain (124,419). 

With inputs from AFP.