Deaths top 18,000 as Pakistan logs 113 Covid fatalities, 4,414 infections

Another 113 people lost their lives to the coronavirus whereas 4,414 fresh cases 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 data, after the addition of 113 news death, the toll has now surged to 18,070 while the number of confirmed cases stood at 829,933, after adding 4,414 new infections.

During the past 24 hours (Saturday), 5,193 patients have recovered from the virus while the total recoveries stood at 722,202. 

As of Sunday, the total count of active cases was recorded at 89,661, and the positivity rate recorded at 9.74 percent.

As many as 284,738 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 304,889 in Punjab, 119,277 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 75,892 in Islamabad, 22,528 in Balochistan, 17,297 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 5,312 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Moreover, 8,550 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab, 4,658 in Sindh, 3,350 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 691 in Islamabad, 477 in Azad Kashmir, 237 in Balochistan and 107 in Gilgit Baltistan.

The health facilities across the country conducted 45,275 coronavirus detection tests, taking the total number of COVID-19 tests to 11,882,14 since the first case was reported.

Global developments

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- India record surge -

India records over 400,000 new Covid cases in 24 hours for the first time, the first country to do so in the pandemic, official data showed.

According to the health ministry, 401,993 new infections were registered taking the total caseload to 19.1 million. There were 3,523 deaths, bringing the toll to 211,853.

India is meanwhile due to open up its vaccination drive to all adults, but many states don't have the stocks as hospitals reel from the vicious surge.

At least 16 Covid patients and two nurses have died in the latest in a series of hospital fires in India, after an April 23 fire on the outskirts of Mumbai killed 13 Covid-19 patients, a few days after another blaze left 22 people dead at another clinic.

The 20 million residents of the hard-hit capital New Delhi will also stay in lockdown for another week.

- US India travel ban - 

The United States will restrict travel from India starting May 4 with exceptions for US citizens, aid workers, students and others.

- Australia too - 

People arriving in Australia from India could face five years jail as the country strengthens an earlier travel ban in place until at least May 15.

- Fauci recommends India lockdown -

India should go into lockdown for several weeks to arrest the current devastating surge in Covid cases, top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci says.

"And if you shut down, you don't have to shut down for six months. You can shut down temporarily to put an end to the cycle of transmission," he says.

- Brazil record toll - 

Brazil registers 82,266 Covid-19 deaths in April, the second consecutive monthly record as the country struggles with a devastating surge since the start of the year.

- Syria jabs - 

Residents of rebel-held parts of northern Syria begin receiving vaccinations with medics among the first to be inoculated.

- May Day rallies in Europe-

Thousands hold May Day rallies in France, Spain and the German capital Berlin despite the pandemic. Police fire tear gas in Paris.

- Protests over virus curbs -

Belgian police fire water cannon and tear gas as they moved in to clear a crowd of several hundred gathered in a Brussels park to protest anti-virus lockdown rules. 

Protest marches are also held in the Finnish and Swedish capitals.

- Disneyland reopens - 

Disneyland Park in California -- the world's second-most visited theme park -- flings open its gates after being shut longer than any other Disney park.

- Argentina extends curfew -

Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez extends a nightly curfew for Buenos Aires for three weeks and says he will seek to compel the city to close schools.

- Kenya eases measures -

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta lifts and scales back some measures including reopening schools and allowing travel in and out of Nairobi.

- Costa Cruises sets sail again -

Italian cruise line Costa Cruises sets sail for the first time in more than four months, buoying an industry capsized by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The flagship Costa Smeralda left the northwestern port of Savona after being landbound since December 20, when the Italian government banned cruises during the holiday season due to the coronavirus crisis.

- Over 151 mn cases -

Some 151.3 million cases have been declared since the virus was first discovered in China in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data. 

At least 3,182,408 people have died of Covid-19 around the world.

The US is the worst-affected country with 576,232 deaths, followed by Brazil with 403,781, Mexico 216,907, India 211,853 and Britain 127,517. 

With inputs from AFP.