-Pakistan reports 914 more COVID cases, 20 deaths
-PakVac second batch handed over to govt, to be used from today
By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The COVID-19 pandemic claimed 20 more lives in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, pushing the nationwide death toll to 22,231, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
Country reported less than 1,000 daily cases for third straight day as total of 914 new cases of the virus emerged when 44,496 samples were tested during this period, taking the country’s caseload to 955,657.
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said the Covid-19 infection rate was recorded at 2.05%. The number of people who have recovered from the disease since the first case of the pandemic was reported in the country climbed to 901,201 after 910 more people recuperated in the last 24 hours. As of June 28, as many as 11,978,339 people have been partially vaccinated against the deadly infection while 2,815,454 fully vaccinated, the NCOC said. A total of 14,793,793 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across Pakistan thus far. As many as 16,560 healthcare workers have been infected while battling the outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan. According to details so far 9,893 doctors, 2,363 nurses.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Health (NIH) Monday handed over second batch of PakVac corona vaccine to the federal government. Second consignment of the vaccine comprises of 1,91,000 doses. According to details, Pakistani experts have prepared second batch of PakVac which is based on the formula of single-dose Chinese vaccine-Cansino. “Previously, the first batch was manufactured under the supervision of the Chinese experts,” reports said, adding, the batch of single dose vaccine has been handed over to the government and will be available from Tuesday (today). The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued NCLB Lot release certificate after being examined by the National Control Laboratory for Biologicals (NCLB).
Pakistan was provided the raw material for the vaccine production by the Chinese company and it currently have sufficient material to prepare 0.9 million doses of PakVac. “The vaccine will be developed on large scale from the next month,” the agencies said adding that the NIH would prepare 100,000 doses per day. It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of National Health had laid down a set of guidelines for the use of the single-dose Covid-19 vaccine PakVac to ensure its proper storage and efficacy.
