Featured CoronaVirus in Pakistan - Updates & Discussion

[POPEYE-Sailor]

Koi hai action lene wala ???

 

[Ali_Baba]

Pakistan to ban air travel for unvaccinated

Coronavirus live news: Pakistan to ban air travel for unvaccinated; Israel ‘to offer Pfizer booster shot’

Pakistan to require all public sector staff to get jabbed in raft of draconian measures; Israel to give people a third shot as efficacy wanes, reports say

www.theguardian.com

 

[Valar.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1420913855723675653

https://twitter.com/x/status/1420979561790152706

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan reports more than 4,500 Covid cases, highest since April 30


Pakistan has recorded its biggest daily increase in Covid-19 cases since April 30, when 4,745 cases were reported in the country.

As many as 4,537 infections have been reported against 58,203 tests over the past 24 hours, according to the National Command and Operation Centre. This constitutes a positivity rate of 7.79 per cent.

This is the third consecutive day that the country has reported over 4,000 cases, with 4,497 recorded the previous day and 4,119 detected on Wednesday.

The total number of cases in the country is 1,024,861. Further, 86 coronavirus-related deaths were also reported during this period, taking the total to 23,295.
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A breakdown of the cases and deaths reported in Pakistan during the last 24 hours is as follows:

• Sindh: 2,797 cases, 44 deaths
• Punjab: 579 cases, 24 deaths
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 414 cases, 9 deaths
• Islamabad: 343 cases, 2 deaths
• Balochistan: 143 cases, 1 death
• Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 188 cases, 2 deaths
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 73 cases, 4 deaths

 

[Valar.]

905K people got vaccitaned yesterday.
697K got first dose.
208K got their 2nd dose (as per NCOC website)

Today is 31st of July, meaning we'll be ending July with 30 million doses administered.
We reached 10 million doses milestone on 9th/10th June which started in Febuary/March in limited capacity. It took us 51/52 days to administer next 20 million mark.

Now since we are administering 900K doses per day and soon to be million per day, it's gonna take us just 1 month to cross next 30 million doses mark,i.e., atleast 60 million doses administered at the end of August.
Our target is 70 million people fully vaccinated uptill the end of December 2021, 100 million people by the end of June 2022(end of fiscal year) and entire elegible/adult population by the end of 2022, which is around 130 million out of 225 million Pakistanis.

According to imf report, Pakistan needs to vaccinated 0.36% of population daily to reach 40% inoculation target by the end of the year. Which roughly translate into around 800K doses administered per day.

Minimum 6 lakh people need to be jabbed daily to reopen economy: IMF

Minimum 6 lakh people need to be jabbed daily to reopen economy: IMF COVID-19 IN BANGLADESH Mohsin Bhuiyan & Tarif Tahmeed Khan 27 July, 2021, 10:35 pm Last modified: 27 July, 2021, 10:43 pm...

defence.pk

https://twitter.com/x/status/1421341740074688512

https://twitter.com/x/status/1421283636649750528

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan's coronavirus positivity rate jumps to 8.64%

July 31, 2021

ISLAMABAD: The coronavirus situation in Pakistan is worsening day by day amid the fourth wave of the pandemic as the country recorded a positivity rate of 8.64 per% on Saturday morning.

According to the latest statistics shared by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 4,950 fresh infections were surfaced over the last 24 hours after 58,479 COVID-19 tests were conducted across the country.

The NCOC said that the COVID-19 positivity rate has jumped to 8.64%, adding that nationwide death toll from coronavirus now stands 23,360 after 65 people lost their lives to the disease.

The number of recovered patients stands at 940,164 and the active cases of the country are 66,287, the NCOC's stats showed.

According to a province-wise breakdown, the total number of cases in Sindh has reached 380,093, 143,673 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 356,211 in Punjab, 87,304 in Islamabad, 30,289 in Balochistan, 24,145 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 8,096 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has announced a nine-day lockdown which goes into effect today.

According to the restrictions under the lockdown, government offices will be closed from next week, those who do not get vaccinated will not get their salary after August 31, vaccination cards of anyone roaming the streets will be checked, the export industry will remain open, all markets in the province will remain closed, but pharmacies will stay open and inter-city transport will be closed.

 

[ghazi52]

Sindh logged its highest single-day tally for the third consecutive day on Friday. As many as 2,862 cases emerged when 21,578 tests were conducted, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's House. Another 24 persons also succumbed to the virus between Thursday and Friday.

"Merely a month ago, there were an average of 500 cases daily in Sindh by the end of June. And now by July's end, the number of daily cases has increased to 3,000," said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, sounding alarm as the provincial government announced an eight-day lockdown in the province.

The Delta variant, known to be a highly communicable strain of the virus, which wreaked havoc in India and has become the most dominant variant in several countries around the world, is the main concern in the fourth wave of the pandemic, according to the CM. He appealed to citizens to cooperate with the government in implementing its decision and said that things could reopen gradually by August 9. The focus of the lockdown will be Karachi, where cases are growing rapidly, according to officials.

However, the decision has been met with objections from some corners. Traders and members of the opposition criticised the decision to impose the lockdown for its heavy financial costs in an economy that is still recovering from the prolonged closures last year. They urged for mass inoculations and stricter implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) instead.

Virus tally

On Friday, the provincial pandemic tally and death toll rose to 380,076 and 5,971, respectively. As many as 2,862 persons were diagnosed when 21,578 samples were tested, indicating a positivity ratio of 13.3 per cent.

Another 493 persons also recovered from the infection overnight, bringing the number of recoveries thus far to 331,802.

The CM confirmed at least 42,303 active cases in Sindh. Of them, 40,856 patients were in home isolation, 45 at isolation centres and 1,402 undergoing treatment at different hospitals, where the condition of 1,215 patients was stated to be critical. At least 101 persons were on the ventilator.

Of the new cases, 2,267 were detected in Karachi.

'Inoculations, SOPs instead of lockdown'

Objecting to the Sindh government's decision to impose the lockdown, traders' groups, including the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), All Karachi Tajir Ittehad and Karachi Electronic Dealers Association, dubbed the decision a unilateral one.

Rejecting the decision, KCCI Chairperson Zubair Motiwala said that cases would likely increase as soon as the lockdown is lifted. The pandemic can only be dealt with through vaccinations and SOPs, he said, adding that lockdown will only serve to starve the traders and low-income groups.

He said that export-related industries are permitted to operate and restaurants have been allowed deliveries, small traders should also be allowed to operate and others too with SOPs.

All Karachi Traders Union Chairperson Atiq Mir said that the Sindh government should immediately reverse the decision of complete lockdown as it would affect 4.5 million poor laborers and daily wage earners.

The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce (FPCCI) also opposed the lockdown. All industries should be allowed to operate seven days a week, said FPCCI President Nasir Hayat, commenting on the economic impact of the lockdown.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh president MPA Khurram Sher Zaman censured the Sindh government for taking the measure against the National Command and Operation Centre's decision.

NCOC head and Federal Minister Asad Umar had advocated a smart lockdown instead of a complete one, said Zaman, adding that the government had not taken opposition parties and business leaders' suggestions into consideration.

Objections were also raised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JIU-F) with its leaders urging on more focus on vaccinations. The decision to lockdown will hit daily-wage earners hard and affect traders, they said. The JUI-F leaders called for more vaccination centres to be set up instead.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31st, 2021.

 

[POPEYE-Sailor]

 

[ghazi52]

NCOC

@OfficialNcoc

Statistics 1 Aug 21:

Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 56,965
Positive Cases: 5026
Positivity % : 8.82%
Deaths : 62

 

[ghazi52]

Vaccine Statistics:
Vaccine administered across Pakistan on 31 July: 934,717
Total vaccine administered till now: 30,590,183

1:43 AM · Aug 1, 2021·

 

[ghazi52]

Sindh opens 11 more Covid vaccination centres as people storm them after govt warning

Provincial government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab says all inoculation centres will operate 24 hours a day

News Desk
August 01, 2021

Amid increased pressure on the existing healthcare system in the province as people rushed to get themselves vaccinated against the novel coronavirus after warnings by the authorities, the Sindh government on Sunday said that it would operationalise 11 more vaccination centres which will work 24 hours.

"In order to facilitate our citizens, #SindhGovt from today will be operationalising 11 more #COVID19 vaccination centres which will be operational 24 hours a day," Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab wrote on his official Twitter handle along with a notification of the department of health.

He also requested the people to appreciate health workers who are putting in their best effort.

As per the notification, one more vaccination centre would be established in district Karachi East, three more in Karachi South, three more in Karachi Central, one more each in Karachi West and Malir and two more in Korangi.

In another tweet, Murtaza said that 87 per cent of hospital admissions were people who had not gotten the Covid vaccine and 13 per cent were vaccinated three days ago.

"Doctors have informed Sindh Govt that generally vaccinated people by & large have had mild symptoms," he added.

On Saturday, Karachi's Expo Centre witnessed chaos following the warnings issued by the Sindh government and the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) that salaries of the government employees resisting inoculation would be blocked.

Desperate to get vaccinated after a long wait in an endless queue outside the centre, the enraged crowd broke into the building and began vandalising the property.

Reports said glass doors were smashed after which security personnel sustained injuries. A video of the incident went viral over the internet.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had directed the finance ministry to stop the salaries from July of government employees who refuse to get themselves vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.

Presiding over a meeting of the provincial task force on Covid-19, the chief minister said: "Government employees who do not get themselves vaccinated will have their salaries stopped from July."

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan reports 4,858 coronavirus cases in one day

Pakistan continues to record a surge in COVID-19 cases as the country has registered 4,858 new infections over the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said Monday.

The NCOC said that the country’s number of overall confirmed cases has risen to 1,039,695, including 943,020 recoveries, adding that the positivity rate of infections was recorded at 8.61 per cent.

The COVID-19 claimed 40 more lives across the country in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll from the disease to 23,462, the NCOC said, adding that 3,441 people are in critical condition.

Sindh province is the most affected region of the country with 385,414 infections, followed by the Punjab province which has reported 357,735 cases.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains third on the list with 144,848 cases. Islamabad, 88,093, Balochistan, 30,502, AJK, 24,891 and GB have reported 8,212 new infections, so far.

To curb the spread of the disease, Pakistan also expedited the pace of vaccination and administered overall 30,590,183 COVID-19 vaccine doses on August 2, including 24,086,196 partial doses and 6,503,987 two doses.

 

[ghazi52]

Triple-dose Chinese vaccine ZF2001 show promise against the Delta variant of the SARS-Cov-2,

ISLAMABAD: Principal investigator of the vaccine trials in Pakistan and University of Health Sciences (UHS) Vice-Chancellor Prof Javed Akram has said preliminary results from phase-III clinical trials of triple-dose Chinese vaccine ZF2001 show promise against the Delta variant of the SARS-Cov-2, which has wreaked havoc in the entire world, including Pakistan.

Preliminary results of the trials are expected to be announced on Monday (today) by the vaccine developer Anhui Zhifei Longcom, Prof Javed Akram stated this in his presidential lecture at an international conference that concluded here on Sunday.

“Findings from the data released by the Institute of Microbiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences on July 16, 2021, showed that ZF-2001 retains its neutralising effect against the Delta (variant). Preliminary efficacy results from the phase-III clinical trials are expected on Monday but samples from those who received their third dose at longer intervals between the second shot showed a greater activity against variants,” he added.

The triple-dose Chinese vaccine ZF2001 has already been granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) in China and Uzbekistan and so far over 100 of its doses have been administered in both the countries.

The three-day Second International Conference of Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine (PSIM) was inaugurated by President Arif Alvi on Friday and it was attended by leading experts, academicians, researchers, students and officials from Pakistan.

Prof Javed Akram, who is also the President of PSIM, maintained that data from Israel showed that Pfizer-BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine Comirnaty was 64 percent effective in preventing infection by the Delta variant down from 94 percent but added that Moderna’s mRNA vaccine was still showing promise against the Delta variant, which appears to be 225 per cent more transmissible than the original SARS-Cov-2 strains.

He maintained that they were going to start the Cansino’s nasal vaccine trials in the country, saying the nasal vaccine administration would not require any syringe and added that Cansino’s vaccine had also proved effective against the Delta variant and now they were going to administer its booster doses to those who received its initial jabs.

According to him, they were also going to launch the phase-III clinical trials of another triple-dose recombinant sf9 cells vaccine in the country, which could be stored at 4-8 degrees Celsius and proved to be highly effective against the new variants, adding that protocols were being prepared to get the phase-III clinical trials approved from the National Bioethics Committee (NBC) and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

 

[Valar.]

He maintained that they were going to start the Cansino’s nasal vaccine trials in the country, saying the nasal vaccine administration would not require any syringe and added that Cansino’s vaccine had also proved effective against the Delta variant and now they were going to administer its booster doses to those who received its initial jabs.

As a recipient of CanSinoBio's (aka PakVac) single dose vaccine, it's good to know that it's effective against delta variant. Nasal dose sounds promising too. Wondering when I'm gonna get my booster shot, and if I do get, whether it's gonna be a syringe or nasal? Either way, good development.

 

[ghazi52]

The 5th batch of 2 million Sinopharm vaccine donated by the Chinese Government are about to arrive in Pakistan by today and tomorrow in 2 flights.