ISLAMABAD : The coronavirus claimed 31 more lives as another 1,404 people tested positive for the deadly disease during the past 24 hours across Pakistan.

According to the latest update released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 1,404 new infections surfaced after 34,475 samples were tested during this period. The positivity ratio of Covid-19 cases was recorded at 4.07 per cent.

The number of active cases has come down to 25,635 as over 523,000 people have recuperated from the disease.

On Saturday, Minister for Planning and Development and Head of National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar said that they had allowed the private sector to import COVID-19 vaccine so that Pakistanis who are in haste could be immunised.

He said that the government has decided to vaccinate the public against COVID-19  free of cost. “We could not bring vaccine for the entire population immediately as it will take some time,” he added.