As the country battles a third wave of the pandemic, Pakistan has reported 5,234 coronavirus cases. This is the highest number of cases reported so far this year, and the highest since June 20, 2020 when 5,948 cases were reported.

The total number of cases in the country is 678,165. Deaths have risen to 14,613 after 83 fatalities were reported during the last 24 hours.

The positivity rate has also climbed to 10.4 per cent, up from 9.9pc a day earlier.

Region-wise breakdown of deaths and cases recorded on April 1:

• Punjab: 2,772 cases, 58 deaths
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 1,156 cases, 19 deaths
• Islamabad: 844 cases
• Sindh: 237 cases, 2 deaths
• Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 179 cases, 3 deaths
• Balochistan: 34 cases, 1 death
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 12 cases