ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported as many as 3,689 new cases of the coronavirus and 83 deaths during the past 24 hours, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday.

It said the nationwide death toll rose to 26,580 after 83 more people died of the viral disease.

A total of 61,128 samples were tested during the previous 24 hours, out of which 3,689 turned out to be positive, taking the country’s caseload to 1,197,887.

Infection rate was recorded at 6.03 per cent, the NCOC, Pakistan’s top platform overseeing the Covid response, said, adding the number of patients in critical care stands at 5,362.

The number of patients recovering from the infection climbed to 1,079,867 after 3,755 more recuperated overnight.

On Thursday, NCOC decided to extend the closure of all educational institutions till September 15 in districts with high coronavirus prevalence.

In a notification issued, the NCOC said the restrictions enforced till September 12 have been extended till September 15 in 15 districts of Punjab; Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Khanewal, Multan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan; eight districts of KP; Peshawar, Swabi, Malakand, Swat, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra and Dera Ismail Khan; and Islamabad.