ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported 5,395 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the highest number of daily infections since June last year, government data showed on Thursday, taking the total infection tally to 739,818.

Pakistan also recorded 118 deaths from the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, as it battles a deadly third wave of the disease.

In the past 24 hours, Pakistan conducted 64,685 COVID-19 tests, the highest number of tests done in a single day since the start of the pandemic in February 2020.

On Wednesday, Pakistan’s coronavirus pandemic response body, the NCOC, issued a set of new guidelines to stem the spread of the virus during Ramadan, implementing “broader lockdowns” with stringent enforcement protocols.

On Wednesday, Pakistani media reported the country planned to make its own single-dose coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with China.

Pakistan is currently offering free vaccines to frontline health care workers and people over the age of 50, but the drive has thus far been slow, and last month the country allowed commercial imports by the private sector for the general public.

The first round saw the commercial sale of the two-shot Russian Sputnik V to the general public for about 12,000 Pakistani rupees ($80) for a pack of two doses.

According to Pakistan’s The Express Tribune, the DG of the National Institute of Health (NIH), Major General Aamer Ikram, told the media after briefing a National Assembly standing committee on Wednesday that the country had requested China to transfer CanSinoBio coronavirus vaccine technology to Pakistan, and raw material was expected to arrive this month.

“We hope that we will be able to take some measures for preparation of the vaccine by the end of April,” he was quoted as saying. “The NIH has procured all the equipment and chemicals needed in this regard.”

Ikram said a Pakistani team was ready to undertake the task under the supervision of a Chinese team that was already in Pakistan.

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s planning minister said 1.3 million people had so far been vaccinated in the nation of 220 million.