Punjab targets 100% Covid vaccination

80% of adults aged 12-plus inoculated against virus

LAHORE:

Punjab government has completed coronavirus vaccination of around 80 per cent of the province's population above 12 years of age and is now targeting the inoculation of all eligible people.

Over 92% of the eligible population have received one dose of the vaccine, Punjab health department spokesperson Sayed Hamad Raza said in a statement.

Meanwhile, all business activities have been restored with no restrictions imposed at at any place. The spokesperson said the vaccination campaign is continuing in full swing in Punjab.

The vaccination in Punjab begun last year along with other provinces and initially it appeared a challenge to meets the targets but now the government is hopeful to inoculate all people over 12 years of age in the coming weeks.

"More than 80% of the people of the province above 12 years of age are fully vaccinated. Our vaccination campaign is continuing and its aim is 100% inoculation," the spokesperson said.

He said coronavirus was under control in Punjab. "We are receiving minimum patients in hospitals and the number of active cases of the disease is also at the lowest level. Life is now normal like before the outbreak of the pandemic and there is no restriction at any place. However, we are advising people to follow the SOPs (precautionary standard operating procedures) till the eradication of the disease," he said.

The spokesman said the vaccine was available at all Tehsil and district headquarters hospitals as well as local health units of the government.

Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch said the Reach Every Door campaign of the department was continuing. Vaccination of 14 million people was completed in the first phase of the campaign, after which two more phases were launched.

"Enough vaccines are available at every vaccination centre in Punjab we are urging all people except children below 12 years f age to get vaccinated against Covid-19," he added. The official said the risk of coronavirus infection was still there, so the people should follow the SOPs, including avoiding crowded places and also wearing face masks.

The coronavirus positive diagnostic test result ration recorded in the province on Thursday was 0.4%, with 70 new patients brought to hospitals. No death caused by the virus was reported in any area of Punjab during past 24 hours.

Since the outbreak, a total 504,689 people contracted coronavirus and 13,549 of them succumbed to the disease in Punjab.

The provincial secretary announced that 16,128 tests of suspected patients of coronavirus had been carried out during the past day in the province, raising the total number to over 10.5 million.

Earlier in January, Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas had said that unvaccinated students, who are eligible for Covid-19 vaccination, will not be allowed to attend schools as the country battled against the fifth coronavirus wave fuelled by Omicron variant.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on January 17, the minister said National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting had decided that educational institutions cannot be closed before imposing Covid-induced restrictions on other sectors.

He said the classes of students below the age of 12 years will be allowed with 50% attendance as they had not been vaccinated.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2022.