No let-up in coronavirus cases as 58 more dead, 2,511 infected in Pakistan

The third wave of coronavirus shows no signs of receding as another 58 people lost their lives to the Covid-19 whereas 2,511 fresh cases have reported during the last 24 hours (Monday), showed the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday morning.

As per the latest NCOC figures, after the addition of the 58 new fatalities, the death toll has now surged to 13,595 while the number of total confirmed cases stood at 609,964, after adding the 2,511 new ones.

During the past 24 hours (Monday), 1,136 patients have recovered from the coronavirus while the number of total recoveries stood at 573,014. The total count of active cases across Pakistan was 23,355.

As many as 261,582 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 188,225 in Punjab, 76,379 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 48,495 in Islamabad, 19,233 in Balochistan, 11,089 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 4,961 in Gilgit Baltistan.

As many as 5,812 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab, 4,461 in Sindh, 2,169 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 526 in Islamabad, 322 in Azad Kashmir, 202 in Balochistan and 103 in Gilgit Baltistan.

A total of 35,303 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours (Monday) while 9,565,066 samples have so far been tested.

On Monday, the Sindh government announced a string of measures, including limiting business hours and imposing smart lockdowns across the province to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Global developments

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- AstraZeneca suspensions -

Germany, France, Italy and Spain join a growing list of nations that have halted the AstraZeneca jab over blood clot fears.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it is "scrutinising" the vaccine and sets an emergency meeting for Thursday.

The World Health Organization, whose experts will meet on Tuesday, says people should keep on taking the jab "for the time being". 

- German J&J hopes -

A new agreement for Germany's IDT Biologika to help in the production of Johnson & Johnson's single dose coronavirus vaccines would offer Europe greater certainty on the delivery of the jabs, Germany's economy minister Peter Altmaier says.

- Italy locked down again -

Restrictions are reimposed on three-quarters of Italy until April 6 to suppress an outbreak fuelled by the virus variant first detected in Britain.

Schools, restaurants, shops and museums are shut, including in Rome and Milan, with residents told to stay home except for work, health or other essential reasons.

- Portugal eases lockdown -

Portugal begins easing some of the lockdown restrictions in place since mid-January, reopening nurseries and primary schools, hair salons and bookshops.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa insists the process must be "very cautious and gradual." 

- $250 million in donations -

The WHO says that a fund it launched a year ago to draw donations from regular people and companies towards battling the pandemic has raised nearly $250 million.

- Virus key in Dutch polls -

Three days of voting begins in the Netherlands -- under tight virus restrictions, including an overnight curfew -- in a popularity test of the government's pandemic policies.

- And in Germany -

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) admits it must manage the pandemic better after suffering heavy losses in two regional polls, six months before a general election.

- Sputnik V deals -

The developers of the Sputnik V vaccine say they have reached production agreements in key European countries as the EU's medical agency deliberates official approval for the Russian jab.

- China border -

Beijing has reopened its borders to certain travellers from the Philippines who have been inoculated with a Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine, its embassy in Manila says.

- 40 million cases in Europe -

Europe, the continent hardest hit by the pandemic, passes the 40-million-case mark, with 40,017,162 cases and 898,070 deaths recorded in the region's 52 countries and territories, according to an AFP count based on official sources at 1745 GMT.

At least 2,654,089 million people have died of coronavirus around the world since the outbreak began in December 2019.

The US is the worst-affected country with 534,889 deaths followed by Brazil (278,229), Mexico (194,710), India (158,725) and Britain (125,516).

- Cricket without crowds -

England's remaining three Twenty20 internationals against India in Ahmedabad will be played behind closed doors because of a surge in coronavirus cases.

With inputs from AFP.