Gilgit-Baltistan declared coronavirus-free
A man wearing a protective mask walks through a crowd of people along a makeshift market as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) continues, in Karachi, Pakistan January 17, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS/File
In some much-awaited news, the health department declared the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) region free of coronavirus on Wednesday.
According to the health department, the total number of patients infected with the virus in G-B had reached 4,959. However, no active cases have been reported in the region since March 10 after the last three patients made a full recovery.
However, Pakistan on Thursday recorded 2,258 new coronavirus cases during the previous 24 hour period for the first time since January 20, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 597,497.
According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), the country's death toll climbed to 13,377 after at least 53 more people succumbed to the deadly disease during the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, 1,276 patients recovered from Covid-19 during the same time period, taking the total recoveries to 566,492.
Read Country records over 2,200 Covid-19 cases for first time since Jan 20
According to the NCOC, the total active Covid-19 cases across the country are 17,628, whereas no active case was reported in G-B.
Out of the 13,377 total reported deaths in Pakistan, at least 4,448 occurred in Sindh; 5,662 in Punjab; 2,129 in K-P and 516 in Islamabad.
About 202 deaths were also reported in Balochistan, whereas 104 were reported in G-B and 316 in AJK.
The NCOC also reported that a total of 9,360,202 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the pandemic. There are about 631 hospitals with Covid-19 facilities with 2,144 patients admitted across the country, it added.