COVID-19 claims 54 lives, infects 2,363 more in 24 hours.

ISLAMABAD -- The national tally of total active COVID-19 cases in the country on Thursday reached 35,293 with 2,363 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 2,179 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.

Fifty-four corona patients, 47 among them were under treatment in hospital and seven in their homes or quarantines died on Wednesday, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

During the last 24 hours most of the deaths had occurred in Punjab followed by the Sindh.

It said that out of the total 54 deaths during last 24 hours 28 patients died on ventilators.

The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Multan 49 percent, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 40 percent, Peshawar 30 percent and Lahore 37 percent.

The maximum oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID-19 patient) was also occupied in four major areas of Peshawar 45 percent, Multan 38 percent, Karachi 39 percent and Rawalpindi 26 percent.

Around 324 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no COVID-19 affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Balochistan.

Some 43,744 tests were conducted across the country on Wednesday, including 13,632 in Sindh, 16,635 in Punjab, 6,234 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 5,798 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 584 in Balochistan, 419 in GB, and 442 in AJK.

Around 480,696 people have recovered from the disease so far across...