ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday reported 16 deaths from the coronavirus disease, the highest single-day fatality count recorded since September.

According to the Ministry of Health (MoH), 429 new infections were registered in the past 24 hours as well, taking the national caseload to 323,019 people who have tested positive for the disease since the outbreak was first reported in March.

More than 6,654 people have died from COVID-19, while the MoH data added that 90 percent of all patients, or 307,069 people, had recovered from the disease, and over 4 million tests conducted thus far.

Pakistan has seen a significant drop in the COVID-19 infection rate since July, compared to an average of 5,000 cases reported daily in May and June.

Earlier this month, the government had imposed “smart lockdowns” across the country, to curb the spread of the disease.

Last week, however, Minister for Planning Asad Umar, who oversees the country’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts as well, warned against an “unmistakable” rise in infections, urging the public to follow health guidelines or face “restrictive actions.”