The Ministry of Public Health on Thursday reported 787 new positive cases of COVID-19 out of 1,296 samples tested in the last 24 hours, bringing the total accumulated cases in the country to 18,054.

The ministry also reported six COVID-19 deaths and 63 recovered patients in the last 24 hours.

Kabul had 323 positive cases reported in the past 24 hours.

Elsewhere, positive cases were reported in Herat (110), Kandahar (65), Nangarhar (54), Badghis (48), Khost (40), Paktia (36), Balkh (34), Paktika (32), Kunar (15), Nimruz (18), Takhar (8), Bamiyan (2), Logar (1) and Parwan (1).

The total number of known deaths is 300 and recovered cases is 1,585.

So far, the ministry has tested 43,569 samples countrywide.

The total active cases in the country is 16,170. The total accumulated confirmed cases is 18,054.

The number of deaths from COVID-19 globally is more than 386,111 and the number of global coronavirus cases is 6,514,359, according to Johns Hopkins University.

On Thursday, Dr. Ahmad Jawad Osmani was introduced as the acting minister of public health and he said in a press conference that he would bring reforms to the health sector.

Osmani at his first press conference said the coronavirus must be fought, but also reforms in hospitals and in other service areas must be made.

He also said that the current health services do not meet the people’s standards and health services need to be increased.

On May 31, President Ashraf Ghani appointed Dr. Osmani as the acting minister of public health, replacing Ferozuddin Feroz, who had served in the post since 2015.