A total of 244 new cases of Covid-19 surfaced in Pakistan in the last 24 hours, lifting the country’s caseload to 1,289,293.

According to the National Command and Operation Center’s (NCOC) data, 244 new infections emerged after 39,387 samples were tested during this period.

The positivity rate was recorded at 0.61 per cent, the country’s nerve centre for Covid response said.

The death toll climbed to 28,836 after six more people succumbed to the viral disease. The number of critical patients of Covid-19 under treatment in various hospitals has come down to 731.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO), citing early data, said Covid Omicron variant is more transmissible than the Delta strain and reduces vaccine efficacy but causes less severe symptoms.

The WHO said Omicron had spread to 63 countries as of December 9. Faster transmission was noted in South Africa, where Delta is less prevalent, and in Britain, where Delta is the dominant strain.