The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has approved a booster shot of Covid-19 vaccines for immunocompromised people, healthcare workers, and those aged over 50 years on Wednesday, amidst fears of Omicron variant.
NCOC further revealed that booster shots would be free of cost and would be administered six months after the last vaccine jab.
The NCOC meeting also discussed cities’ progress in vaccinating their residents against Covid-19.
The forum further discussed epidemic curve chart data for Pakistan, the national vaccine strategy and disease prevalence across the country, while stressing that the Omicron variant was spreading fast globally and the only protection against it was vaccination.
It is pertinent to note that the NCOC decided to take strict measures to enforce the “obligatory vaccination regime” from December 1 (today) and directed the provinces and authorities to adopt a zero-tolerance policy regarding its implementation.
During the meeting, representatives from provinces stressed on the need to focus on the Omicron variant and take necessary measures at airports for checking the vaccination status as well as testing of travellers.
Provincial health ministers and chief secretaries gave presentations during the meeting, highlighting initiatives taken to boost the vaccination campaign, improve testing numbers and establish call centres.
The forum was informed that 40 call centres have been established across the country to contact those who have not yet received their second doses. The number of call centres would be increased in the future.
“All provinces will start vaccination outreach campaigns immediately to [achieve] the vaccination targets,” the statement added.
The notification stated that Karachi Division, Sukkur and Sanghar have been categorised as having “good vaccination progress” while the remaining cities/divisions fall under the “low vaccination progress” category.
Planning Minister and head of the NCOC Asad Umar had warned on Monday that the Omicron variant will inevitably come to Pakistan and the country has only a few weeks to contain its threat.
“This [strain] has to spread in the whole world as we saw before that when a variant comes, the world is so interconnected that it is impossible to stop it,” the minister said, adding that vaccination was the most logical solution to curb the threat.
He stated that the initial information the government had received was that although Omicron was a “very dangerous” variant, vaccination will be effective against it.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government had asked the Centre to provide the province with 100,000 doses of Pfizer, 500,000 doses of Moderna and 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca so it could offer booster shots free of cost.
Prior to that, the Sindh health department had decided to inoculate all people with a booster shot of Pfizer keeping in view the increased risk of transmission and re-infection posed by Omicron.
Earlier, Sindh government has issued new guidelines to curb the transmission of Covid-19 in view of the threat posed by Omicron. The new guidelines will be applicable across the province from Dec 1 to Dec 15.
As per the restrictions imposed by the Sindh government, indoor, outdoor gatherings will be allowed for vaccinated individuals only. For Karachi, Sukkur and Sanghar the limit is 500 people for indoor events and 1,000 for outdoor. For the rest of the province, it is 300 people for indoor and 1,000 for outdoor.
Indoor dining allowed for vaccinated people till 11:59pm with 70pc occupancy for Karachi, Sukkur, and Sanghar and 50pc for the rest of the province. Outdoor dining is allowed for fully vaccinated citizens till 11:59pm.
Markets and businesses can function till 10pm while essential services can operate 24/7, while shrines, indoor gyms and cinemas are open for fully vaccinated individuals.
It must be noted that 100pc attendance at offices will be ensured with routine timings.
Amusement parks and swimming pools will operate at 70pc occupancy in Karachi, Sukkur and Sanghar and 50pc for the rest of the province.
