The Ministry of Public Health on Tuesday reported 1,724 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and 54 deaths. 

These high numbers come amid continued reports of a lack of medical oxygen in hospitals to treat infected patients.

The ministry said that 4,959 samples were tested in the country’s laboratories in the last 24 hours.

In the same period, the ministry said, 54 COVID-19 patients died and 571 more recovered.

The total number of cases has reached 84,050 and the total death toll stands at 3,305.

The rise of COVID-19 cases in the third wave in Afghanistan comes as the vaccination campaign against the virus has stopped due to a shortage of vaccines. Afghanistan is awaiting the arrival of 700,000 vaccine doses from China.

Doctors said that children, teenagers and adults are among their patients, but COVID-19 is most damaging to adults.

On Monday, the ministry reported 56 deaths due to COVID-19, which was the highest number in 24 hours since the coronavirus was reported in Afghanistan in February 2020.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of deaths from COVID-19 globally is more than 3,737,523 and the number of known global coronavirus cases is 173,643,616.