ISLAMABAD: The COVID-19 pandemic claimed 23 more lives in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, lifting the nationwide death toll to 22,211, quoting the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

A total of 901 new cases of the virus emerged when 44,544 samples were tested during this period, taking the country’s caseload to 954,743.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said the Covid-19 infection rate was recorded at 2.02.

The number of people who have recovered from the disease since the first case of the pandemic was reported in the country climbed to 900,291 after 1,347 more people recuperated in the last 24 hours.

As of June 26, as many as 11,978,339 people have been partially vaccinated against the deadly infection while 2,815,454 fully vaccinated, the NCOC said.

A total of 14,793,793 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across Pakistan thus far.

Pakistan has primarily used Chinese vaccines – Sinopharm, CanSinoBio and Sinovac- in its inoculation drive and, earlier this month began allowing those under 40 to receive AstraZeneca, of which it has a limited supply meant for people traveling to countries that require it.

Pakistan has so far granted emergency use authorization to six different vaccines, including China’s Cansino, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Russian Sputnik V, European AstraZeneca and US Pfizer vaccines against COVID-19.