ISLAMABAD : The statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has shown that 1,637 new cases of COVID-19 and 23 more deaths were recorded across the country during the last 24 hours.

The tally of deaths reached up to 7,000 in Pakistan, whereas, the number of active cases of COVID-19 reached up to 20,045.

31,904 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours and 319,431 patients recovered from the virus, whereas, the total count of infections stands at 346,476.

Earlier on November 8, it emerged that Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad had cancelled scheduled examinations of BA, BSC, and B.com amid a sharp increase in coronavirus cases. The examinations were scheduled to take place from November 9 till 13.

According to the administration of the university, the new date of the examinations of BA, BSC and B.com would be announced later.

In a wake of Covid-19 second wave, the Ministry of Interior had issued new guidelines on Monday for federal government offices.

As per details, the interior ministry has issued a notification according to which only 50 percent of employees of all federal government offices should be allowed to attend their offices from November 10.

The new order will remain in effect from November 10 to Nov 25, the notification stated.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in its session, held in Islamabad yesterday, had expressed concern over the soaring rate of COVID-19 positive cases in the country.

The NCOC meeting expressed concern over the increasing ratio of positive cases in the country, which has reached to 4.5 per cent.

“Positive rate of coronavirus cases rapidly increasing in big cities, which is at maximum in 15 major cities of the country,” it was observed in the NCOC meeting. “Maximum positive rate of coronavirus cases has been reported 16.59 per cent in Hyderabad,” the meeting observed.

“The rate of positive cases in Gilgit is 15.38 per cent and Multan at 15.97 pct,” the meeting was informed. Mover the rate of positive cases in Muzaffarabad was recorded at 14.12% and 11.11% in Mirpur Azad Kashmir.

“The corona positive cases ratio in Peshawar reached to 9.63 and in Quetta 8.03 per cent,” the meeting was briefed. Islamabad have 7.48 pct, Karachi 7.12 per cent, Lahore 5.37 pct and Rawalpindi 4.63 per cent ratio of positive coronavirus cases.