Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 549,032 on Wednesday after 1,384 new coronavirus cases surfaced in the country during the last 24 hours.
Overall, 248,270 cases were confirmed in Sindh, 158,793 in Punjab, 67,589 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 18,836 in Balochistan, 41,561 in Islamabad, 4,910 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 9,073 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
According to the government's COVID-19 portal, the death toll related to coronavirus has reached to 11,802 with 56 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours.
Over the last twenty four hours, total number of recovered COVID-19 patients across the country reached 502,537 after another 1,285 virus recoveries were reported.
Meanwhile, the national immunization drive against COVID-19 formally began across the country on Wednesday.
According to details, the healthcare staffs were administered with first shots of Sinopharm vaccine at a special ceremony at National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) in Islamabad.
Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar who also heads the NCOC initiated the national immunisation drive in a special ceremony while the chief ministers of all provinces participated in the event via video link.
The first tranche of the COVID-19 vaccine has reached all federating units, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan and the frontline health workers will be vaccinated in the first phase.
Vaccination centers have been established in Lahore’s Services, Mayo, General, and Mian Mir Hospital. At least 6,000 health workers of Mayo Hospital will be immunized in the first phase.
Nearly 83,000 vaccination doses were shifted to Sindh in strict security by Rangers and Police after arriving in Karachi.
Meanwhile, 10,000 doses of the vaccine have been provided to Balochistan. Inoculation drive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will also start today.
It is pertinent to mention that the global coronavirus cases have reportedly surpassed 102.942,000 million and death toll tops 2.232,000 million.
