Tag: covid 19

  • Samina Peerzada gets vaccinated, praises government

    Samina Peerzada gets vaccinated, praises government

    The Government of Pakistan has started the COVID-19 vaccination drive for those above the age of 60, with various vaccination centres operating in different cities of the country.

    Among those who received their shot is Samina Peerzada, who also praised the government for the facility.

    Sharing a picture of herself receiving the jab, the veteran actor said: “Thank you and Shabash Pakistan”.

    Other prominent personalities who received the shot include lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan and journalist Najam Sethi, both of whom praised the vaccination facility set up by the government.

    Meanwhile, others are also sharing their vaccination experiences on social media and praising the facilities.

    https://twitter.com/khanmaira089/status/1370777671291002880

  • COVID-19: Sindh re-imposes smart lockdown

    COVID-19: Sindh re-imposes smart lockdown

    Amid rising COVID-19 cases, the Sindh government has re-imposed restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. The government has imposed smart lockdown across the province until April 15 to fight against the third wave

    According to a notification issued by the department:

    • All businesses e.g. markets, shopping malls, marriage halls etc. will operate from 6am to 10pm (except essential services i.e. medical stores, clinics, hospitals, petrol pumps, bakeries, milk shops, restaurants etc)
    • Amusement parks to close by 6pm
    • 50% staff in all public/private sector offices will be allowed
    • No indoor marriages will be allowed. As per earlier decisions only outdoor events/marriages will be allowed with a maximum limit of 300 persons till 10pm under defined SOPs.
    • No indoor dining will be allowed at restaurants.
    • All indoor gathering places, gyms, indoor sports facilities, cinemas and theaters, shrines to close.
    • Outdoor gatherings will be allowed only in open spaces with a maximum limit of 300 individuals.

    The province has reported 261,411 cases so far. However, 232 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.

  • Punjab government to reimpose COVID restrictions to curb virus spread

    Amid a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases in Punjab, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has announced that Covid-related restrictions will be reimposed in the province.

    “Coronavirus, especially the UK- variant is spreading alarmingly in some cities of Punjab,” stated the Punjab CM, adding that strict SOP’s will be implemented in regions where positivity rate is more than 5 percent, for the next 15 days, starting from Saturday night.

    According to the notification, indoor weddings and dining will be banned in those regions, whereas educational institutes, parks, shrines will be closed in areas with high positivity rate. In addition to that, markets will close at 6pm.

    CM Buzdar further added that a detailed notification in this regard will be issued by health department later.

    Buzdar added that he has advised the health department to speed up the process of vaccination for old age citizens.

    The notification was issued after CM Buzdar chaired the meeting of the cabinet committee for the eradication of corona and expressed concern over the increase in the number of patients in Lahore and other districts, reported APP.

  • Surge in COVID cases: Educational institutions to close down in at least 7 cities

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan and Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, in a press conference, have announced that educational institutes in Punjab will remain closed from March 15 to 28. The decision was taken after a meeting of the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) to review the situation of coronavirus in the country.

    The government officials said that educational institutes in Punjab will remain closed from March 15 to March 28 to contain the spread of Covid-19, adding that spring break will begin in seven districts of Punjab, including Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujrat, Multan, Rawalpindi and Sialkot. Mahmood said the same decision will also apply to educational institutions in Islamabad, Muzaffarabad and Peshawar.

    However, the decision of the closure of the schools will not be applicable to schools that are already conducting examinations.

    Educational institutions in Sindh and Balochistan would continue with 50 percent attendance every day.

    Earlier today, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar presided over the NCOC meeting. To contain the spread of the virus the in the country, the following decisions have been taken:

    • Strict compliance of Mask Wearing will continue across the board.
    • SLDs / Micro SLDs will continue to be imposed based on the disease prevalence / hotspots.
    • 50% work from home policy will be implemented on the discretion of federating units. However, it will be enforced in ICT with immediate effect.
    • Time limit of 10:00 PM on all commercial activities will be re-enforced with immediate effect, less essential services.
    • Amusement Parks across the country will be closed at 6:00 PM..
    • Earlier decision of allowing indoor weddings, indoor dining and opening of cinemas and shrines with effect from March 15, 2021 has been withdrawn. However, outdoor dining / take away will continue to remain open as per previous practice.
    • Outdoor gatherings will continue to remain limited to a maximum of 300 individuals with strict enforcement of COVID -19 SOPs.
    • Review of all enforced  non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) will be carried out on April 12, 2021.

    The above-mentioned decisions regarding non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are the baseline decisions. Federating units are at liberty to impose stricter NPIs in selected cities/districts keeping in view the local disease trend/ spread.

  • ‘When in doubt…breathe,’ advises Mawra Hocane

    To say that the last year has been a roller coaster would be an understatement. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in some way or another.

    Mawra Hocane recently opened up on how the pandemic affected her fitness routine and advised all her followers to breathe when in doubt.

    Read more – Mawra Hocane says she is no longer embarrassed by her anxiety

    Sharing a picture of herself doing yoga, Mawra said: “I was majorly a gym person up until COVID happened.”

    “Today marks a year of me training at home all by myself, with little help from friends and YouTube, as much as I feel comfortable and when I feel the need for it,” shared Mawra.

    “Let’s all aspire to be our healthier versions, always,” said the actor further, adding: “When in doubt…breathe.”

    Last year, Mawra was criticised on social media for being too skinny, when she posted a picture of herself with the caption “Losing all of my weight and all of my mind.” Mawra later deleted that post.

  • Shahveer Jafry stirs controversy with claims of ‘hi-fiving’ PSL players

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced that the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was being postponed indefinitely due to rising COVID-19 cases among players and officials involved in the tournament.

    Soon after the news broke, PSL fans expressed their hurt and anger over the decision, with many pointing fingers at Peshwar Zalmi’s management for breaching the biosecure bubble as one night before the opening match, Zalmi coach Daren Sammy and captain Wahab Riaz were spotted meeting franchise owner Javed Afridi, who was not part of the bubble.

    Later, a Twitter user posted a video of Shahveer Jafry in which the vlogger boasted that he breached the bio-secure bubble of two players of Peshawar Zalmi.

    “Mainay toh to aik dou cricket players ko high-five bhi karlia hai,” Shahveer can be heard saying in the video. Jafry was talking to Mahira Khan and Zainab Abbas while watching the match at the National Stadium Karachi.

    Jafry was at the stadium with Mahira, who is the Brand Ambassador of Peshawar Zalmi, for the promotion of his upcoming web series Baarwan Khiladi. The cricket-based series is produced by Mahira Khan, and will feature Danyal Zafar, Kinza Hashmi, Saba Faisal, Sarmad Khoosat and Khaqan along with Shahveer.

    Jafry and Mahira have not yet responded to the controversy.

    Meanwhile, PCB, during the press conference, clarified that Peshawar Zalmi was not involved in any bubble breach.

  • Lahore Zoo’s white tiger cubs reportedly died of COVID

    Lahore Zoo’s white tiger cubs reportedly died of COVID

    Two 11-week-old white tiger cubs that died in Lahore Zoo last month appear to have died of COVID-19, zoo officials have said.

    According to reports, the cubs died on January 30, four days after beginning treatment for what officials thought was feline panleukopenia virus, a disease that zoo officials said is common in Pakistan and targets cats’ immune system.

    But an autopsy found the cubs’ lungs were badly damaged and they were suffering from severe infection, with pathologists concluding they died from COVID-19.

    Although no PCR test for the new coronavirus was conducted, zoo deputy director Kiran Saleem told Reuters the zoo believes the cubs were the victims of the pandemic that has killed 12,256 people in Pakistan.

    “After their death, the zoo administration conducted tests of all officials, and six were tested positive, including one official who handled the cubs,” Saleem said. “It strengthens the findings of the autopsy. The cubs probably caught the virus from the person handling and feeding them.”

    Pakistan’s zoos regularly draw the ire of animal rights activists, who say hundreds of animals have died from poor living conditions there.

    “The last two white tiger cubs have died at Lahore zoo and once again the negligence of the management and authorities has come out,” said Zufishan Anushay, founder of JFK (Justice for Kiki) Animal Rescue And Shelter.

    “White tigers are extremely rare and need a specific habitat and environment to live a healthy life. By caging them in unhygienic conditions with no medical arrangements, we will keep witnessing these incidents,” she added.

    However, Saleem rejected the allegations of neglect at the zoo, saying that animal rights activists were welcome to visit and check the facility’s safety and hygiene protocols themselves.

  • Govt allows private companies to import COVID-19 vaccine

    Govt allows private companies to import COVID-19 vaccine

    The government will allow private companies to import coronavirus vaccines and has agreed to exempt such imports from price caps as the world scrambles to secure supplies.

    The documents show the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination division had sought a special cabinet exemption to allow for such imports while excluding the imported vaccines from the strict price cap regime that is typically applied to all drug sales within the country.

    The federal cabinet, the documents suggest, has approved the proposal.

    State Minister of Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that the government still planned to inoculate its population for free and only a “small minority” who wish to pay for the shots will have that option in the open market.

    “Only those who wish to get it via private sector will pay anything,” he said. “Personally, my assessment is that when the vaccines are available and we have market competition, that will automatically set the prices.”

    Pakistan began rolling out the anti-coronavirus jabs last week after receiving half a million shots of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.

    As per the roll-out plan, the vaccine will first be made available to more than 400,000 doctors and frontline healthcare workers, teachers and social workers because they run the highest risk of exposure to the contagious disease.

    After that, the shots will be provided to citizens over the age of 65, who generally face a higher mortality risk from the virus.

    Pakistan received its first tranche of the Sinopharm jabs, given by China as a “gift”, on Tuesday last week. The shipment marked the first shots to be imported into the country where more than 550,000 cases of the disease have been reported since the outbreak in February last.

    In addition, the government is due to receive a further 1.1 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine by the end of this month, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had announced late last month.

  • ‘Fully vaccinated people can skip COVID-19 quarantines’

    ‘Fully vaccinated people can skip COVID-19 quarantines’

    People who have been fully vaccinated with two doses of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 can skip quarantine if they are exposed to someone infected with the virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.

    However, the disease control body clarified that this doesn’t mean they should stop taking precautions, it’s just not necessary for them to go into isolation.

    “Fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following an exposure to someone with COVID-19,” the CDC said in an update.

    “Vaccinated persons with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria,” the CDC added.

    The criteria for the vaccination is to have both shots with at least two weeks gap. That’s because it takes two weeks to build full immunity after the second dose of vaccine.

    But the CDC says it’s not known how long protection lasts, so people who had their last shot three months ago or more should still quarantine if they are exposed. They also should quarantine if they show symptoms, the CDC said.

    “This recommendation to waive quarantine for people with vaccine-derived immunity aligns with quarantine recommendations for those with natural immunity, which eases implementation,” the CDC said. The agency will update guidance if there is any further development.

    People who have been vaccinated should still watch for symptoms for 14 days after they have been exposed to someone who is infected, the CDC added.

    The body further said that everyone, vaccinated or not, needs to follow all other precautions to prevent the spread of the virus because it’s possible that even vaccinated people could harbour the virus in their noses and throats, and pass it to others.

    “At this time, vaccinated persons should continue to follow current guidance to protect themselves and others, including wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, following CDC travel guidance, and following any applicable workplace or school guidance, including guidance related to personal protective equipment use or SARS-CoV-2 testing,” the agency said.

    Vaccines prevent symptomatic illness but they have not yet been shown to prevent asymptomatic illness, the CDC noted. While people with no symptoms can spread coronavirus, the CDC said, “symptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission is thought to have a greater role in transmission than purely asymptomatic transmission.”

    Plus, the benefits of not unnecessarily forcing people into lockdown for two weeks may outweigh the risks of transmission in these cases, the CDC said.

  • Cleric believes COVID vaccine makes people ‘gay’

    Cleric believes COVID vaccine makes people ‘gay’

    Amid an increase in conspiracy theories about coronavirus vaccine, an Iranian cleric has come forward with another absurd claim about the vaccine turning people into homosexuals, reported Arab News.

    In a rant on Telegram, Ayatollah Abbas Tabrizian, who is known for his vitriol against Western medicine, said that the people who have received COVID vaccine have become “gays”. “These jabs have made the individuals gay,” he claimed, asking people to keep their distance from these individuals.

    The so-called father of Islamic medicine claimed that in the presence of Islamic knowledge, Western medical practices have become “irrelevant”.

    Last year, there was a viral video of him burning a copy of Harrison’s Manual of Medicine – considered an authority and the most trusted brand in medical content.

    Iran’s regime has executed 4,000-6,000 gays and lesbians since its 1979 Islamic revolution, according to a 2008 WikiLeaks cable.

    Iran is the Middle East region’s hotspot for the coronavirus’ worst outbreak with almost 1.5 million cases. The country’s vaccination program begins Tuesday for the population groups most at risk: frontline healthcare doctors and nurses working in contact with COVID-19 patients at intensive care units.

    Iran earlier launched a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Iran’s Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute.