Islamabad, Aug 30 (IANS): Pakistan has extended Covid-19 restrictions to 27 cities from the earlier 13 to control the fourth wave of the pandemic in the country, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said.

The new restrictions will be imposed from September 1 across the country, under which all commercial activities, except essential services including grocery stores and pharmacies, will be suspended by 8 p.m., the Department leading the country's campaign against the pandemic said in a statement.

Under the restrictions, markets in all 27 cities will be closed twice a week, whereas indoor dining, indoor weddings, shrines and cinema halls, recreational parks and swimming pools will remain closed across the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

Sports activities including boxing, martial arts, rugby, water polo, and wrestling have also been banned by the NCOC.

Outdoor weddings with a limited number of people and outdoor dining and takeaway are allowed across the country, according to the statement.

All public and private offices and public transport have been allowed to operate at a 50 per cent capacity, and railways at a 70 per cent capacity throughout the country.

Educational activities in schools will be allowed thrice a week at a 50 per cent capacity, the statement added.

The country has reported 3,909 new Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours, raising the overall tally of the infected people to 1,152,481 across the country, the NCOC said.

Sindh province has been the worst hit, with a total of 429,422 cases, followed by Punjab, where the virus was infected 389,688 people.

A total of 25,604 people died of Covid-19 in Pakistan, the NCOC said.

The country currently has 93,504 active cases, while 1,033,373 others have recovered.

The vaccination drive in the country has also picked up the pace, with some 39,951,787 partially vaccinated and 15,269,699 fully inoculated in the country, according to the latest official data.