Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 1,053,660 on Thursday after 4,722 new coronavirus cases surfaced in the country during the last 24 hours.
Overall 392,433 cases were confirmed in Sindh, 360,494 in Punjab, 146,485 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 30,880 in Balochistan, 89,117 in Islamabad, 8,473 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 25,778 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
As per the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 62,462 tests were conducted in last 24 hours while positivity ratio remained 9.06%.
According to the government's COVID-19 portal, the death toll related to coronavirus has reached to 23,635 with 46 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours.
Over the last twenty four hours, total number of recovered COVID-19 patients across the country reached 952,616 after another 6,787 virus recoveries were reported.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood on Wednesday said that the government has decided to keep educational institutions across the country open except for Sindh.
The education minister announced this in a news conference following a meeting of Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC).
All the provincial education ministers, relevant senior officials, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan attend the meeting.
Shafqat said that all educational institutions would be allowed to open with 50% attendance adding that examinations will continue as scheduled.
The minister said all the examinations would continue according to schedule, while there will be changes in Sindh's timetable.
"The exams of classes 9, 10, 11, and 12 will take place in accordance with their date sheet."
“Similarly transport employees involved with educational institutions are also needed to be vaccinated by Aug 31,” he said.
The next meeting of the education ministry with NCOC will be held on August 25.
“We will again review the health situation in view of COVID-19, Shafqat Mahmood said."
Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for a halt on COVID-19 vaccine boosters until at least the end of September, its head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday, as the gap between vaccinations in wealthy and poor countries widens.
It is pertinent to mention that the global coronavirus cases have reportedly surpassed 201.017 million and death toll tops 4,270,342.
