-Pakistan records 2,482 cases, 67 deaths in 24 hours
-Walk-in Vaccination of citizens above 30 begins from today
-Over 100,000 doses of Pfizer Vaccine arrive
-Schools in Punjab to reopen from June 7
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported its first confirmed case of a coronavirus variant first identified in India, the federal health ministry said on Friday.
The Indian variant case was detected by the National Institute of Health which conducted whole-genome sequencing of SARS CoV-2 samples collected during the first three weeks of May 2021, health ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah said in a statement.
“The sequencing results confirmed [the] detection of seven cases of B.1.351 (South African variant) and one case of B.1.617.2 (Indian variant),” the statement said, adding that this was the first in-country detection of the Indian strain.
Shah said in accordance with protocols, the contact tracing of all the cases was in progress by the Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division and the Islamabad district health officer.
“Continued detection of global strains highlights the ongoing need for observation of guidelines, usage of masks and [the] need for vaccination,” he added.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had earlier this month classified the B.1.617 strain as a variant of global concern.
Pakistan’s Covid vaccination drive:
The government has started registering citizens aged 19 and above for vaccination against Covid-19. People in the age bracket of 19 to 30 years can register themselves by sending their CNIC number to 1166.
NCOC also decided on Friday to allow walk-in vaccination of citizens above 30 years of age from today (Saturday).
“In the NCOC meeting today it was decided to open up walk in vaccination for 30 plus from tomorrow,” Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, who heads the NCOC, tweeted.
The county’s Drug Regulatory Authority had already granted go-ahead to the locally made COVID-19 vaccine PakVac. Locally made coronavirus vaccine PakVac would be available for general use in the ongoing week.
Pakistan COVID cases:Pakistan continues to witness a downward trend of coronavirus cases and deaths as the country reported 67 deaths over the past 24 hours.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 67 more people died of the infection, raising the death toll to 20,607.
A total of 51,625 samples were tested, out of which 2,482 turned out to be positive. The positivity ratio of new infections was recorded at 4.80%, the NCOC said.COVAX doses arrived:
More than 100,000 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine have arrived in Pakistan through the COVAX facility, UNICEF Pakistan reported on Friday.
The doses reached Islamabad with the help of UNICEF, it said, in a statement on Facebook.
UNICEF said that a consignment containing diluents as well as syringes is expected in the next two days.
The Pfizer vaccine will be utilised across the country in the ongoing vaccination campaign, it said.
Friday’s consignment marks the second shipment to have arrived through the COVAX facility. The first, which arrived on May 8, contained 1,248,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
COVAX is a global vaccine-sharing programme co-led by the World Health Organisation, the Gavi vaccine alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
It has pledged 17.2 million doses to Pakistan.
Punjab Schools reopening: Punjab School Education Minister Murad Raas on Friday urged teachers in Lahore to get vaccinated, saying schools in the province would be reopened from June 7.
He was speaking to the media alongside Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid after inaugurating the first dedicated ‘Vaccination Centre for Teachers’ at the Government Pilot Higher Secondary School located on Wahdat Road in Lahore.
Raas said the vaccination centre would inoculate the teaching and non-teaching staff of both public and private schools, noting that there were 16,000 teachers and 4,000 non-teaching staff in Lahore.
“I request all teachers of public and private schools and non-teaching staff to get vaccinated before June 7 because we are going to open schools on June 7,” the minister said, adding that the provincial government would open similar vaccination centres in the nine divisional headquarters in order to inoculate the maximum number of teachers.
The teachers would be required to bring their CNIC and job certificate in order to get vaccinated at the dedicated centre. Raas said teachers would also be prioritised at any vaccination centre for public if they went there with their documents.
