-Exams, schools closure, lockdowns on NCOC agenda
-Fed Cabinet approves prices of 2 COVID vaccines imported by private sector
-COVID kills 44, infects 3,677 across country
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Sunday said that all education and health ministers will sit together on Wednesday (March 24), and take decisions regarding the reopening or further closure of educational institutions in the country amid the rising number of coronavirus cases.
Taking to his Twitter account, the minister reminded the masses that the third wave of the coronavirus is serious, therefore, it requires careful review.
“All education/health ministers will meet Wednesday, March 24, at the NCOC [National Command and Operation Centre] to take a decision regarding opening or further closure of educational institutions,” the minister wrote.
Meanwhile, the federal cabinet has approved a summary regarding prices of COVID-19 vaccines- Chinese and Russian doses- to be imported by the private sector after a recommendation from the health ministry following approval from the DRAP.
The health ministry has suggested a proposal allowing the private sector to import the COVID-19 vaccine.
The health ministry recommended the price of two anti-COVID jabs of the Russian vaccine be set at Rs 8,449. The packet containing four doses of Sputnik-V is set at Rs 16,560 while 10 and 20 doses would be available in Rs40,555 and Rs 81,110.
On the other hand, the single-shot COVID vaccine from China- Convidencia- would cost Rs4,225.
Two Pharmaceutical companies are importing vaccines from abroad with one hailing from Karachi importing the Russian vaccine while the Chinese vaccine would be imported by a multi-national pharma company.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has determined how much Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine imported by the private sector is to cost in the country.
Agencies added that the drug regulator’s processing board in a meeting held on March 19 recommended fixing the price of two doses of the Russian vaccine between Rs8,200 and Rs9,000.
A Karachi-based pharmaceutical company received the first consignment of Russian made Sputnik-V vaccine earlier this week. An official of the private firm said that the price of the vaccine will be fixed by the government soon.
The Covid-19 vaccines would remain stored at the cold storage till approval of the price by the government. The registration process of the company’s corona vaccination centres has also been underway, Dr. Umar Chughtai said.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had granted approval to Russian vaccine for Covid-19, for emergency use in February.
Sputnik V is one of four vaccines approved for emergency use in Pakistan, in addition to those by China’s Sinopharm and CanSinoBio, and the AstraZeneca-Oxford University shot.
COVID Situation: Coronavirus has claimed 44 more lives in Pakistan during the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 13,843.
The latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) released on Sunday showed the COVID-19 has claimed 44 more lives and 3,677 fresh infections were reported during the period.
The total count of active cases is 31,107. The positivity ratio was recorded at 8.73 per cent during the past one day.
A total of 41,960 tests were conducted across the country during this period. Since the detection of the first COVID-19 case in the country, overall 9,773,993 tests have been conducted so far.
2,900 patients are in critical condition across the country, whereas, 2,092 people recovered from the deadly disease during the last 24 hours. Overall 581,852 have regained their health from the COVID-19.
Sindh remains top on the list with 263,058 cases reported in the province so far, followed by Punjab with 197,177 COVID cases so far.
79,245 cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 51,414 in Islamabad, 19,327 cases in Balochistan, 11,609 infections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 4,972 cases have been detected in Gilgit Baltistan.
