Islamabad, Feb 11 (IANS): Pakistan has inoculated around 27,000 frontline healthcare workers against the novel coronavirus, according to the country's National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

Of the vaccinated frontline healthcare workers, 77 per cent are from the worst-hit province of Sindh, Dawn news reported on Thursday citing the NCOC as saying.

Pakistan's vaccination drive began on February 3 a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the initiative.

Inoculation is being carried out through adult vaccination counters (AVCs) established at 582 health facilities throughout the country.

The country's overall coronavirus caseload has increased to 559,093, after 1,072 new infections were registered in the last 24 hours.

With the addition of 62 new fatalities, the death toll rose to 12,185.

The number of active cases, which was over 50,000 in December 2020, has dropped to 30,512 and 2,168 of the patients have been hospitalised across the country.