ISLAMABAD: Punjab’s daily coronavirus deaths rose to a record 31 in the last 24 hours, data from National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total death toll to 5,269.
Cases have come down in recent months. The government portal keeping track of the outbreak in Pakistan on Wednesday reported 1,196 new infections of the coronavirus after conducting 38,453 tests, receiving back a transmission rate of 3.11 per cent.
The NCOC data showed the total number of active cases at 23,665.
Despite passing through two waves of the pandemic, Pakistan has yet to fully utilise its testing capacity of 59,981, with daily testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts.
Pakistan began its Covid-19 vaccine drive on February 2, with more than 400,000 doctors and frontline healthcare workers, teachers, and social workers receiving the shots in the first phase because they run the highest risk of exposure to the contagious disease.
In the second phase, starting March 1, the shots will be provided to citizens over the age of 65, who generally face a higher mortality risk from the virus.
PUNJAB ANNOUNCES VACCINE COMMITTEE:
Meanwhile, the Punjab government announced the establishment of a committee to monitor the vaccination drive.
Last week, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Captain (r) Muhammad Usman said that the committee will work under the supervision of concerned deputy commissioners.
“The [district] vaccine management committees will strictly monitor the vaccination drive,” he had said.
VACCINATION DRIVE LAUNCHED IN BAJAUR:
An anti-coronavirus vaccination drive for the frontline workers was launched in the district on Wednesday.
For this purpose, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Fiyaz Sherpao inaugurated an anti-corona vaccination counter in the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Khaar.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, he said that 500 vaccines had been provided for the district to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers in the first phase. He urged people to strictly observe prescribed precautionary measures to stop the spread of the pandemic.
Several officials of relevant departments including DHO Dr Adnan, DMS, DHQ Dr Naseeb Gul, paramedics and nurses were present in the ceremony where several healthcare workers received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
UNICEF SAYS POOR COUNTRIES NEED $410M:
United Nations International Fund for Children (UNICEF) has called for $410 million in assistance to help low-income countries with the logistics and procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as therapeutic and diagnostic tools in 2021.
UNICEF has estimated a funding gap of US$133 million to cover in-country vaccine logistics and the required cold chain equipment for the poorest 92 countries.
The coronavirus antidote requires an ultracold chain facility to survive varying temperatures during its transportation and to maintain its efficacy till administration to the targeted population, said a document of UNICEF.
“With the imminent arrival of globally approved Covid-19 vaccines, we can begin to see signs of hope. But hope will not be restored by the vaccine alone,” said an official of the UNICEF.
The countries needed urgent technical and financial support to strengthen their capacities for cold supply chains, train healthcare workers, and work with communities in combating misinformation and building trust in vaccines, he added.
The official worried that without urgent funding and support, many of the poorest countries still at risk of being left behind in a time where the world is working together to overcome the contagion outbreak.
The Covid-19 vaccine availability, logistics and safe administration have become an uphill task in the prevailing environment of misinformation, propaganda, crumbling economies due to lockdown and public indifference to get vaccinated, he added.
