Nine more perish as death toll from COVID-19 in Pakistan reaches 6,162

ISLAMABAD: As many as 747 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of confirmed cases to 288,047.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 09 people died due to coronavirus-related complications during this period, pushing the death toll from the disease in the country to 6,162.

The number of active coronavirus cases has dropped to 16,261 as 265,624 patients have recuperated.

As many as 23,722 more samples were tested over the previous 24 hours, taking the total number of tests conducted across the country thus far to more than 2.2 million.

Thus far, 125,632 cases have been detected in Sindh, 95,203 in Punjab, 35,091 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12,144 in Balochistan, 15,346 in Islamabad, 2,179 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 2,452 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Coronavirus worldwide

Countries among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic unveiled further measures on Friday to battle rising infections, as the number of cases worldwide passed 21 million.

Around the world, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases passed 21 million on Friday, with more than 755,000 fatalities.

The United States has suffered the most deaths at 168,318, followed by Brazil with 105,463, Mexico 55,293, and India with 48,040.

Meanwhile Britain added France to its list of countries hit with a mandatory two-week quarantine for returning holidaymakers from Saturday, as Paris confronts a resurgent second wave of infections.

Confirmed cases in France reached levels not seen since May on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, at over 2,500 new cases per day.

Neighbouring Spain said it would ban smoking in the street where people are unable to stay at a safe distance, after the country reported almost 3,000 cases in 24 hours on Thursday.