Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 850,131 on Friday after 4,298 new coronavirus cases surfaced in the country during the last 24 hours.
Overall 289,646 cases were confirmed in Sindh, 314,517 in Punjab, 122,520 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 23,016 in Balochistan, 77,414 in Islamabad, 5,358 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 17,660 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
According to the government's COVID-19 portal, the death toll related to coronavirus has reached to 18,677 with 140 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours.
Over the last twenty four hours, total number of recovered COVID-19 patients across the country reached 747,755 after another 4,631 virus recoveries were reported.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government has directed all private hospitals to offer COVID-19 vaccine to general public free of charge.
According to a notification issued by the provincial health department, the Covid-19 jabs will be provided to private hospitals for free.
"Health department government of Sindh will provide vaccine to all stakeholders in this greater national cause," it said.
"It may also be communicated to all the private hospitals that in case of non-compliance by any private hospital, their operational licence will be cancelled," the notification warned.
It is pertinent to mention that the global coronavirus cases have reportedly surpassed 154.815 million and death toll tops 3.236 million.
