PUNJAB'S DAILY COVID-19 DEATHS AT RECORD HIGH 31: NCOC
Punjab's daily coronavirus deaths rose to a record 31 in the last 24 hours, data from National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total death toll to 5,269.
Cases have come down in recent months. The government portal keeping track of the outbreak in Pakistan on Wednesday reported 1,196 new infections of the coronavirus after conducting 38,453 tests, receiving back a transmission rate of 3.11 per cent.
The NCOC data showed the total number of active cases at 23,665. Despite passing through two waves of the pandemic, Pakistan has yet to fully utilise its testing capacity of 59,981, with daily testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts.
Pakistan began its Covid-19 vaccine drive on February 2, with more than 400,000 doctors and frontline healthcare workers, teachers, and social workers receiving the shots in the first phase because they run the highest risk of exposure to the contagious disease.
In the second phase, starting March 1, the shots will be provided to citizens over the age of 65, who generally face a higher mortality risk from the virus.
PUNJAB ANNOUNCES VACCINE COMMITTEE:
Meanwhile, the Punjab government announced the establishment of a committee to monitor the vaccination drive. Last week, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Captain (r) Muhammad Usman said that the committee will work under the supervision of concerned deputy commissioners.
“The [district] vaccine management committees will strictly monitor the vaccination drive,” he had said.
VACCINATION DRIVE LAUNCHED IN BAJAUR:
An anti-coronavirus vaccination drive for the frontline workers was launched in the district on Wednesday.
For this purpose, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Fiyaz Sherpao inaugurated an anti-corona vaccination counter in the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Khaar.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, he said that 500 vaccines had been provided for the district to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers in the first phase. He urged people to strictly observe prescribed precautionary measures to stop the spread of the pandemic. Several officials of relevant departments including DHO Dr Adnan, DMS, DHQ Dr Naseeb Gul, paramedics and nurses were present in the ceremony where several healthcare workers received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
UNICEF SAYS POOR COUNTRIES NEED $410M:
United Nations International Fund for Children (UNICEF) has called for $410 million in assistance to help low-income countries with the logistics and procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as therapeutic and diagnostic tools in 2021.
UNICEF has estimated a funding gap of US$133 million to cover in-country vaccine logistics and the required cold chain equipment for the poorest 92 countries. The coronavirus antidote requires an ultracold chain facility to survive varying temperatures during its transportation and to maintain its efficacy till administration to the targeted population, said a document of UNICEF.
“With the imminent arrival of globally approved Covid-19 vaccines, we can begin to see signs of hope. But hope will not be restored by the vaccine alone,” said an official of the UNICEF.
The countries needed urgent technical and financial support to strengthen their capacities for cold supply chains, train healthcare workers, and work with communities in combating misinformation and building trust in vaccines, he added.
The official worried that without urgent funding and support, many of the poorest countries still at risk of being left behind in a time where the world is working together to overcome the contagion outbreak.
The Covid-19 vaccine availability, logistics and safe administration have become an uphill task in the prevailing environment of misinformation, propaganda, crumbling economies due to lockdown and public indifference to get vaccinated, he added.
hameed Nizami was an eminent journalist, literary figure, Pakistan movement activist, and the founder as well as the editor-in-chief of the Urdulanguage newspaper, the Nawa-i-Waqt (lit. ‘The Voice of the Time’). He earned national prominence for penning several political articles and opinionated columns in support of successful Pakistan movement while he played a crucial role in the growing influence of the print journalism in Pakistan.
Hameed Nizami was born in the remote railway junction town of Sangla Hill, a few miles from the vintage city Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Punjab, British Indian empire, on 3 October 1915. He hailed from a Punjabi family and initially studied at the local school in Faisalabad at his own expense. He attended the Islamia College where he gained a Ba degree in Journalism. Later, he attended the Punjab University where he attained the ma degree in english Literature.
during his years in college, he was politically active. He founded and served as president of the ‘Punjab muslim Students Federation’ wing of the muslim League. His role as student leader and journalist led him to become closer to muhammad ali Jinnah. after attaining master’s degree in journalism, he joined the press directorate of the Punjab government for a short time before joining the literary staff of the Orient Press.
In 1940, Nizami left the Orient Press to establish the Nawa-i-Waqt newspaper.
He became the newspaper’s first editor-in-chief from Lahore on 23 march 1940. The Nawa-i-Waqt was a monthly newspaper but he quickly converted the newspaper into weekly on 15 december 1942. after hiring more staff and gaining more credibility, the Nawa-i-Waqt began publishing its articles and news headlines on daily purposes on 19 July 1944. The first edition of the Nawa-i-Waqt came out on 22
July 1944 with a muslim prayer and a message of muhammad ali Jinnah in it.
Nizami’s efforts made Nawa-i-Waqt, with all its resources limitations, a powerful voice of the people for the cause of muslim League and he penned several articles for the support of Pakistan movement. He was noted as a strong spokesman for democracy in the country, and wrote a harsh column against the first martial law imposed by President Iskander mirza. Through his newspaper, he took hard stance on communism and supported capitalism during the 1950s.
He began to raise his voice against the martial law despite hardship imposed by the government. He once described the martial law as a “dark night”.
Hameed Nizami died on 25 February 1962 in Lahore. His death was mourned throughout the country. after his death, the newspaper founded the “Hameed Nizami memorial Society” (HNmS) dedicated to his style of journalism, and held memorial sessions in remembrance of his name every year. His journalism style was influenced by the renowned philosopher, Iqbal, and he had conveyed Iqbal’s words in articles he wrote. To many politicians, Nizami is noted as a crucial figure in shaping the print media in Pakistan. The government of Pakistan issued a postage stamp in the honour of Hameed Nizami.