Tag: Vaccine

  • More than half a million vaccine doses administered for first time on July 12, says Asad Umar

    Asad Umar in a tweet has said that 525,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine were administered yesterday.

    “For the first time we crossed half a million doses of vaccination yesterday. 5 lakh 25 thousand doses were administered yesterday,” Asad Umar tweeted.

    “Highest ever first dose was also achieved yesterday with 3 lakh 90 thousand first doses administered. The pace will increase further inshallah,” he added.

    As per the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan recorded 1,590 cases of Covid-19 yesterday with the positivity rate  of 3.63 per cent.

  • Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity rate back up at 3 per cent

    Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity rate passed the three per cent mark Wednesday morning for the first time in the last 20 days. 

    The country recorded a positivity rate of 3.27 per cent. The last time the positivity rate was 3 per cent was in June.

    According to the latest statistics by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 46,287 Covid-19 tests were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours, out of which 1,517 people tested positive for the virus.

    The NCOC had warned of strict restrictions as it has observed violation of coronavirus SOPs in several sectors following the relaxation of curbs.

  • Pakistan reports lowest Covid-19 positivity rate in 2021

    Pakistan reports lowest Covid-19 positivity rate in 2021

    Pakistan has reported the lowest Covid-19 positivity rate so far this year. During the last 24 hours, the positivity rate was recorded as 1.9 per cent.

    According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 54,647 tests were conducted during this period of which 1,043 samples came back positive.

    Earlier this week, for the first time since February 15, Pakistan reported less than 1,000 cases.

  • Covid-19 vaccine shortage is temporary, says Dr Faisal Sultan

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan while addressing a press conferences said that the government has secured sufficient vaccine doses in the month of June to ramp up the vaccination drive in the country, Associated Press of Pakistan has reported.

    “There are more than 2,000 vaccination centres in the country and the number of visitors varies. So there may be a shortage of vaccines in some centres,” he said, adding that the shortage of vaccine in some centres is only temporary.

    Dr Faisal further said, “We have two million doses available and vaccination will continue to protect citizens from carrying coronavirus.” He assured that the vaccine situation would improve after June 20 as more vaccines would reach Pakistan by then.

    As per the national tally on Wednesday, total active Covid-19 cases were 39,905, while 1,038 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 2,016 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.

  • Pakistan allows AstraZeneca vaccine for individuals under 40

    The Pakistan government has revised guidelines for AstraZeneca vaccines and allowed citizens who are 18 or older to get the jab which was earlier restricted to those aged over 40, Reuters has reported.

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan while talking to Geo News, said that Pakistanis who are travelling to Saudi Arabia can get the Oxford vaccine after showing their documents.

    Saudi Arabia has approved four Covid-19 vaccines for those who want to avoid quarantine, namely AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.

    As of June 15, the total number of vaccines administered in Pakistan has reached 12,067,171.

  • Expats protest, demand Pfizer vaccines ‘only’

    Expats protest, demand Pfizer vaccines ‘only’

    Several overseas Pakistanis protested outside the Mass Vaccination Centre at F-9 Park in Islamabad, on Monday. The expats demanded that they should only be administered the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer, reports The Express Tribune.

    The staff present at the vaccination centre stated that they could only administer the vaccine provided by the government which was not what the expats were demanding.

    As a result of this, expats protested by holding placards and demanded that the prime minister should ensure the availability of Pfizer vaccine for them.

    They maintained that Overseas Pakistanis are a source of billions of dollars coming into the country yet they are being humiliated over a vaccine. They demanded a date be announced for them so that they could get vaccinated.

    Earlier, it had issued guidelines that only a limited amount of Pfizer vaccine was available in Pakistan, therefore, only Haj pilgrims and student and work visa holders for foreign countries would be immunised with it.

  • Pakistan reports less than 1,000 cases for the first time since February 2021

     For the first time since February 15, Pakistan has reported less than 1,000 cases in the last 24 hours, data released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed. 

    In the last 24 hours, a total of 35,039 tests were conducted across the country out of which 838 people tested positive for the virus, thus putting the coronavirus positivity ratio at 2.39 per cent. 

    Meanwhile, 59 people succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours, the NCOC stated, adding that a total of 2,611 coronavirus patients from across the country are in critical condition.

  • COVID-19: Walk-in vaccines for people above 18 to start soon

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced that walk-in vaccination for citizens above 18 years of age will be available in Pakistan from June 11 (Friday). The decision was made in the NCOC session held today.

    It was also decided in the meeting that vaccination centres will remain open from 8am to 10pm daily from June 11, except on Sundays.

    Other decisions taken in the meeting will be implemented from June 15, which are:

    • Restriction on the closure of two days a week will be relaxed to one day. Choice of the day will be at the discretion of the federating units.
    • Partial opening of indoor gyms for vaccinated members only.
    • Only selective non-contact sports will be permitted, while the ban on contact sports(karate, boxing, MMA, rugby, kabbadi, wrestling, water polo) and festivals, cultural and other events will remain imposed.
    • Ban on the closure of shrines will remain imposed.
    • Cinemas will remain closed.
    • Existing 50 percent work from a home policy will be relaxed to 100 per cent office attendance.
    • Two days weekly ban on inter-provincial transportation will be lifted.
    • Restriction regarding 50 per cent occupancy for public transport will be relaxed to 70 percent occupancy.
    • Current restrictions already announced by NCOC regarding recreation, education sector, mask-wearing SOP, Railways and inbound passengers policy will remain in place till further order.

  • Lahore gets its first drive-through vaccination centre

    The city district administration of Lahore has established the first drive-through vaccination centre at Nishtar Park Sports Complex. According to details, the facility has been launched in collaboration with the Bank of Punjab.

    This facility will help people get vaccinated from the comfort of their vehicles in just 15-20 minutes, which includes registration, checking vitals, and inoculation. The timings for the drive-through vaccination centre are from 08:00 pm to 02:00 am.

    Pakistan’s vaccination drive began on March 10 with priority given to healthcare workers and senior citizens above 60. Later, vaccinations for those aged 50-59 were started on April 21. Meanwhile, registration for ages 40-49 was started on on April 2 and the registration for19 plus started from May 27.

  • Who will get the Pfizer vaccine in Pakistan?

    Who will get the Pfizer vaccine in Pakistan?

    Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said on Thursday that the government has decided to prioritise giving the Pfizer vaccine to those who have a work visa. The government aims is to inoculate Hajj pilgrims and students proceeding for education abroad first.

    The federal minister said that the government is working hard to accelerate the vaccination process across the country so that restrictions are lifted and businesses are resumed.

    Umar, replying to a question, said that Pakistan had received a limited quantity of Pfizer this month and therefore, preference for its administration had to be given to some segments.

    However, he added, Pakistan would receive more doses of Pfizer in the future.

    The minister further warned that countries not accepting vaccination certificates of Chinese vaccines would turn out to be a problem for the entire world if a decision was not taken on the issue at the global level.