Pakistan continues to report decline in coronavirus cases

ISLAMABAD: As many as 448 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus during the past 24 hours across the country. ARY News reported on Monday.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), seven people died due to coronavirus-related complications during this period, pushing the death toll from the disease in the country to 6,175.

The number of active coronavirus cases has dropped to 13,953, while the number of recovered patients has reached 269087.

As many as 22,448 more samples were tested over the previous 24 hours, taking the total number of tests conducted across the country thus far has jumped to 289215.

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Thus far, 126,182 cases have been detected in Sindh, 95,447 in Punjab, 35,215 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12,295 in Balochistan, 15,390 in Islamabad, 2,184 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 2,502 in Gilgit Baltistan.

Russia starts production of COVID-19 vaccine

Russia has started manufacturing its new vaccine for COVID-19, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday, citing the health ministry.

Russia has said the vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute and the first for the coronavirus to go into production, will be rolled out by the end of this month. Some scientists said they fear Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety.

The vaccine, called “Sputnik V” in homage to the world’s first satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, has yet to complete its final trials.