ICT first to achieve 50% vaccination

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Tuesday said that Islamabad became the first city in Pakistan with a population of one million or more to get 50% of its eligible population vaccinated with at least one dose.

He added that the target set for one million vaccinations in a day was achieved on Monday with 1.072 million vaccinations taking place across the country.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus positivity rate has once again spiked to 15.51% in Rawalpindi as 101 infected patients reached three allied hospitals of the city while three patients died in a span of 24 hours.

Two deaths were reported from Holy Family Hospital (HFH) while another patient breathed his last at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT).

District Health Authority (DHA) has suggested the imposition of smart lockdown in seven more areas of the garrison city while 10 areas are already under it.

The new areas suggested for the smart lockdown include Dhok Kashmirian house no 84 to 95 in Aliabad neighborhood, Seventh Road Satellite Town street 8, Mehboob street Tench Bhatta, New Lalazar street 1, Kahuta Suburban Dhok Banda Nara, Quaid-e-Azam Colony Lane-1, New Nayi Abadi Murir Hassan street no 7.

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The health authorities also conducted a test of 209 people who were in contact with the newly infected patients. Among them, 12 have returned positive while 47 have returned negative until now. DHA urged the citizens to implement SOPs to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

Moreover, according to the latest data released, among the new cases, 13 were from Potohar, 55 were from Cantt, 10 cases each were from Gujar Khan and Kahuta, three cases each were reported from Murree and Islamabad while one case each was reported from Abbottabad, Chakwal, Khushab and Kallar Syedan.

At present, 190 confirmed patients are admitted to various health facilities. The break-up is 37 at HFH, 31 at BBH, 61 at RIUKT, 48 at Fauji Foundation Hospital, three each at Begum Akhtar Memorial Trust, Bilal Hospital and Attock Hospital while two each were admitted at Hearts International and District headquarters hospital, the health authority report stated.

Furthermore, nine patients were on ventilators in critical condition with 69 patients in stable condition while 112 were on oxygen. The report added that so far 27,217 patients were discharged after making a recovery while 2,690 people were in quarantine with 1,594 people at home and 1,096 at isolation centres.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2021.