Coronavirus update: Pakistan's total caseload crosses 900,000 grim mark

• Pakistan's coronavirus cases surpass grim milestone of 900,000 after 3,084 new infections emerged on Sunday.
• At least 74 more people succumb to the virus, pushing the national tally to 20,251.
• The coronavirus positivity rate in Pakistan stands at 4.46% with 62,620 active cases across the country.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's coronavirus cases have surpassed the grim milestone of 900,000 after 3,084 new infections emerged during the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) revealed on Sunday.

As per the details on the official portal, at least 74 more people succumbed to the virus, pushing the national tally to 20,251.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus positivity rate in Pakistan stood at 4.46% with 62,620 active cases across the country.

Read more: NCOC directs provinces to not reopen schools in high coronavirus positivity areas

In a positive sign, 813,855 people have recovered from the virus in the country so far.

Provincial breakdown

According to the NCOC website, the total number of coronavirus patients in Sindh has reached 306,707 while 4,891 people have died so far.

In Punjab, the total number of COVID-19 patients is 333,057 and 9,739 people have died so far due to the virus while the total number of patients in Balochistan is 24,413 and the death toll has reached 270.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded a total of 129,013 virus patients, with 3,900 deaths, while in Azad Kashmir, 18,651 people have been infected with the virus and 526 people have died.

NCOC— the body leading Pakistan's efforts in the fight against coronavirus — has directed provinces to refrain from reopening educational institutions in districts with high coronavirus-19 infection rates.

Read more: Karachi may go under strict lockdown due to rise in COVID-19 cases, say sources

The NCOC, in a letter sent to the provinces, said educational institutions in the districts where the coronavirus positivity ratio is high, should not reopen on May 24 as was previously decided.

They must instead remain closed till June 6.

"The districts where the infection rate is less — below 5% — can reopen educational institutions (on May 24)," NCOC said in a notification sent to the provinces.

The NCOC has set a cap of 5% positivity ratio for reopening of schools; if a district has an infection rate higher than the limit, educational institutes there are barred from reopening.