ISLAMABAD: Planning Minister Asad Umar has urged people to strictly follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and get vaccinated at the earliest to contain the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
“We are planning targeted restrictions with coordinated plans so that people are least troubled,” he said while addressing a news conference along with Special Assistant on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan.
He said the Delta variant spreads very fast but Pakistan avoided disaster that has wreaked havoc in the other regional countries. He said the government is arranging vaccines to protect the people from the coronavirus.
He said the past few weeks have seen COVID-19 spreading havoc in Indonesia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan as well, underscoring the threat of the delta variant.
Asad Umar said the government has been successful to combat the previous waves of coronavirus and now we will be able to protect our people from the current wave and without affecting their employment.
He said there have been 2,600 vaccination centres established across Pakistan and 3,000 mobile teams for door-to-door campaigns. He shared they have administered the last ten million jabs in just the past 16 days while the previous ten million doses were given did in 113 days. He said a record 934,000 people were administered the vaccine just yesterday (Saturday).
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Faisal Sultan said the fourth wave of the coronavirus has put pressure on the health system of Karachi, Abbottabad and Islamabad.
He said now the positivity ratio has surged to 8.8 percent in the country. He said the number of cases is also increasing on daily basis due to the fourth wave of coronavirus.
He added that around 400 to 500 people are coming to hospitals for treatment daily, while there are 2,000 people who remain in critical condition.
He urged the people to get vaccinated as the rate of occupied beds in medical facilities across Karachi has reached 55 percent.
He urged the general public to follow the precautionary measures against the corona pandemic. He said vaccination is of vital importance as it reduces the risk of coronavirus.
