Vaccine drive, fresh supplies lift spirits

60M CITIZENS ADMINISTERED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF VACCINE

The Covid-19 positivity rate in the country remained below 4 per cent for the 8th consecutive yesterday at 3.26 per cent highlighting the significant progress in the fight against coronavirus nationally.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiative Asad Umar who also heads the National Command & Operation Centre (NCOC), said the country has crossed the threshold of 60 million recipients of at least one dose of Covid-19 and is most likely to hit the target of 70 million by the end of the year.

The government’s Covid-19 vaccine administration drive received a boost after seven million doses of Chinese and Russian vaccines arrived in Islamabad a day earlier.

SOP for returning pilgrims

The NCOC has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for pilgrims coming from Iraq, asking them to stay in quarantine for one day.

Iraq has been placed in Category C, which includes the regions with the most Covid-19 cases. People cannot visit such countries without getting special permission and following the necessary health guidelines. However, in view of Chehlum of Imam Husain, special permission was granted to those who travelled to Iraq.

The British government is changing Covid-19 rules from today, and will accept Pakistan’s vaccine certificates — admitting one of the four vaccines approved by London — to travel to the UK without quarantine or self-isolation.

According to the NCOC, after 35 casualties in the last 24 hours the country’s toll climbed to 27,866 while there were 46,503 active cases in the country.