ISLAMABAD: Pakistan continues to report a decline in coronavirus-related cases and deaths on Saturday, as the positivity ratio of cases has reduced to 4.42 percent.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan reported 2,455 cases and 73 deaths in the previous 24-hour period. The national tally of coronavirus cases has reached 916,239 while the death toll stands at 20,680.
There were 55,442 tests conducted in the past day, while the positivity ratio has dropped to 4.42%, making it the fifth consecutive day since the ratio remains below 5 percent.
There are still 58,857 active cases in the country while 4,132 remain in critical condition. Overall 836,702 people have recovered from the virus so far, including 2,136 in the past day.
Punjab still remains the most affected region and has recorded 338,377 cases and 9,960 deaths, while the number of active cases in the province stand at 20,142. Islamabad has recorded 81,007 cases and 755 deaths while there are 5,981 active cases in the federal capital.
Sindh has recorded 315,410 cases and 5,003 deaths while the number of active cases in the province has increased to 24,432. The number of coronavirus cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stands at 131,775 and 4,043 deaths while Balochistan has recorded 25,001 cases and 273 deaths.
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Pfizer vaccine arrives in Pakistan
Meanwhile, Pakistan has received more than 100,000 doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine under the World Health Organisation’s COVAX programme.
“Shipments of Pfizer diluents and syringes will be arriving over the next two days. The vaccines will be used for Pakistan’s ongoing Covid-19 vaccination campaign,” said UNICEF’s Pakistan chapter.
The UNICEF also commended the government and federal ministry of health for the successful rollout of the countrywide coronavirus vaccination campaign and “excellent arrangements at vaccination centres and inclusion of all above 18 years of age”.
The shipment of Pfizer is the second consignment of vaccines received by the country via COVAX. “Earlier, UNICEF had led the efforts to procure and deliver more than one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Pakistan on behalf of COVAX,” said the UN agency in a statement.
“Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective. If you are 18 or above, please send your CNIC (without space) to 1166 and get registered in the government’s vaccination campaign. No one is safe until everyone is safe,” read the statement.
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Vaccines for citizen aged 19
The NCOC had earlier decided to allow people aged 30 years and above to walk into any vaccination centre from Saturday (today) onwards to get inoculated against COVID-19.
“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 Planning minister further wrote, “So if you are 30 or older and registered please go to any vaccination centre and get vaccinated.” Vaccination against COVID-19 of Pakistanis aged 30 years and above, who had registered themselves on the helpline 1166, started on May 22.
