KARACHI: There’s no coronavirus vaccine shortage in Sindh, Health Minister Azra Pechuho said Friday.
In a press conference with Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani, she said that the provincial government is prepared to provide ventilators and oxygen cylinders to hospitals if the need arises.
“People above the age of 80 years can get the Moderna vaccine,” Pechuho said. “Students travelling abroad will be administered Pfizer. A fresh consignment of the vaccine will soon arrive in Sindh.”
On Thursday, over 1,700 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the province, while 38 people succumbed to the deadly virus. In the last 24 hours, more than 200,000 people have been vaccinated.
According to the minister, most of the new cases reported in the province were from Karachi. The city’s district Central and East have the highest coronavirus positivity ratio.
Earlier this month, the government set up mobile vaccination units across the province to encourage people to get immunised.
On Wednesday, the National Command and Operation Centre announced people across Pakistan can now get their second shot of the coronavirus vaccine after 28 days.
Earlier, the government was administering the second shot 42 days after the first one.
People don’t have to wait for a government SMS to get the second dose as well.
You can get the second dose of the vaccine any time after the minimum time interval has elapsed.
If you have missed your second shot, you should get it as soon as possible.
The NCOC added that from September 10, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to travel. It will be mandatory for the travellers to show their immunisation certificates before boarding.
Meanwhile, smart lockdown would be imposed in different parts of Peshawar district to control the spread of the Covid-19 disease from Friday evening, according to a notification from the office of the deputy commissioner of Peshawar.
It added that the smart lockdown would come into effect from 9 pm on August 13 (today) and “shall remain in force till further orders”.
The smart lockdown would be imposed in areas including Bara Gate area bound by Bara Road and Al Faisal street Charsadda Road area bound by Canal Road, Charsadda Road and Pajjagi Link Road, Mahal Terai area bound by Dalazak Road and Ring Road Street No 1, Darmangi Garden and Warsak Road.
The notification said no entry or exit would be allowed to these localities except for people supplying essential commodities.
All types of gatherings would be strictly prohibited. All shops apart from essential services such as pharmacies and general stores would also remain closed. Additionally, congregations in mosques would be limited to five people.
The national tally on Friday of total deaths was recorded 79, with 4619 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during the last 24 hours.
The total active coronavirus cases in Pakistan reached 86,236 as of 13 August, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre.
Out of a total of 79 corona patients who died during the past 24 hours, 74 were under treatment in hospitals and five out of the hospital in their respective quarantines or homes.
During the last 24 hours, most of the deaths had occurred in Sindh followed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Out of the total 79 deaths, 38 of the deceased had died on ventilators during their treatment.
The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Multan 43 percent, Islamabad Capital Territory 43 percent, Peshawar 37 percent and Bahawalpur 40 percent.
The maximum oxygen beds was also occupied in four major areas of Abottabad 76 percent, Islamabad 43 percent, Gujranwala 41 percent and Karachi 60 percent.
Around 456 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no Covid affected person was on a ventilator in Balochistan.
Some 59,504 tests were conducted across the country on Thursday, including 21,430 in Sindh, 19,017 in Punjab, 10,013 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,416 in Islamabad Capital Territory, 1,294 in Balochistan, 962 in GB, and 1372 in AJK.
Around 979,411 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count.
Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 1,089,913 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment COVID-19 patients so far, including AJK 28,654, Balochistan 31,396, GB 9,137, ICT 92,768, KP 150,708, Punjab 369,358 and Sindh 407,892.
About 24, 266 deaths were recorded in the country since the eruption of the contagion. Around 6,355 have perished in Sindh, out of which 37 died in hospital and two out of the hospital on Thursday.
11,307 in Punjab out of which 12 deaths occurred in the hospital and three out of the hospital during the past 24 hours.
4,624 in KP, where 20 of them died in hospital on Thursday, 827 in ICT among three deaths in a hospital during the past 24 hours, 332 in Balochistan, 161 in GB and 660 in AJK succumbed to the deadly virus out of which two died in hospital on Thursday.
A total of 16,735,031 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 639 hospitals are equipped with Covid facilities. Some 5,095 corona patients were admitted to hospitals across the country.
