(Karachi) Pakistan has recorded 23 deaths due to the COVID-19 while 1,176 new cases have been reported in last 24 hours across the country, National Command and Operating Centre (NCOC) reported on Sunday.

With more fatalities, the total death tally due to the deadly disease has reached 12,860.

As per details, 1,176 fresh coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours while 1,562 patients are in critical condition. The total number of infections in the country now currently stands at 579,973.

Meanwhile, 38,920 tests were conducted across the country during this period. 545,277 people have recovered from the deadly disease while 8,951,838 samples have been tested thus far.

In February, the first batch of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrived in Pakistan as a gift from China to be used to inoculate the frontline health workers to protect them from COVID-19 at initial stage.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Dr Faisal Sultan urged the health professionals to get COVID doses. He announced that Pakistan would be able to get 17 million doses of vaccine before June this year, including doses of AstraZeneca vaccine that would start arriving in the first week of March.