Major coronavirus indicators have shown signs of receding as Pakistan listed 4,874 more infections and 30 deaths 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 30 new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 29,478 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,459,773 after adding the fresh 4,874 cases.

During the last 24 hours (Saturday), 56,051 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 8.69 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 1,681.

https://twitter.com/OfficialNcoc/status/1490130257764093955

During the last 24 hours (Saturday), as many as 5,766 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,339,498. As of Sunday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 90,797.

As many as 551,399 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 488,603 in Punjab, 202,190 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 131,337 in Islamabad, 34,785 in Balochistan, 40,568 in Azad Kashmir and 10,891 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,242 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,891 in Sindh, 6,041 in KP, 986 in Islamabad, 761 in Azad Kashmir, 368 in Balochistan and 189 in Gilgit Baltistan.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

Here are the global developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- Compulsory jabs in Austria -
Austrians over the age of 18 must now be vaccinated against Covid-19 or face the possibility of a heavy fine, an unprecedented measure in the European Union.

The new measure, implemented on Saturday, is the culmination of a process that began in November in the face of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

- Erdogan tests positive -
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he has tested positive for Covid.

"After experiencing light symptoms, my wife and I tested positive for Covid-19. We have a mild infection thankfully," he tweets.

- Record Hong Kong cases -
Hong Kong posts a record number of new daily infections, sending officials scrambling to ramp up testing capacity and warning that a tightening of virus-control measures could be needed.

"Based on the current growth rate of cases, we estimate that (medical isolation) facilities will soon be unable to quarantine all patients," health chief Sophia Chan says.

- WHO-China talks -
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meets Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for talks on Covid-19, including on the stalled investigation into the pandemic's origins.

"We also discussed the need for stronger collaboration on Covid-19 virus origins, rooted in science and evidence," Tedros says.

- French Polynesia infections -
The number of positive tests has quadrupled in a week in the sparsely populated Pacific territory of French Polynesia, official figures show.

With 2,080 infections as of Friday -- compared to 579 seven days earlier -- the incidence rate is now 753 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

- Over 900,000 US deaths - 
The US Covid death toll has surpassed 900,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.

The toll had hit 800,000 dead just a month and a half ago. New cases linked to the Omicron variant are falling, but daily deaths are still rising, with a current average of 2,400, according to government figures.

- 5.7 million dead -
Coronavirus has killed at least 5.7 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Saturday.

The US has recorded the most Covid deaths with 901,391, followed by Brazil with 630,494, India 501,114 and Russia 334,743.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.

With inputs from AFP.