ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has said that record-breaking over 164,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered on Monday.
On a social media website Twitter Asad Umar, who also heads National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said that the vaccination drive for 40 and above also commenced from Monday.
کل پہلی دفعہ کسی بھی ایک دن میں ویکسین لگانے کی تعداد ڈیڑھ لاکھ سے تجاوز کر گئی. کل ایک لاکھ چونسٹھ ہزار سے زائد افراد کو ویکسین لگائ گئ. کل پہلا دن تھا کے 40 سال اور اس سے زیادہ عمر کے لوگوں کو ویکسین لگائ گئ.
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 4, 2021
Pakistan is expected to receive vaccine doses via COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility from this week, according to sources.
Sources prior to the development said the first consignment will bring 1.2 million doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine to the country. The shipment is arriving from South Korea.
The first batch is expected to reach the country on Friday, May 7, sources said. Through the COVAX vaccine facility, Pakistan has planned to vaccinate 20 percent of its population free of charge.
COVAX is co-led by the World Health Organization, the Gavi vaccine alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Pakistan has so far received a total of 4.06 million doses of vaccines for the novel coronavirus.
Last month, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that Pakistan will receive 15 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine from the COVAX scheme as the country continues to battle the pandemic’s third wave.
“Following my meeting with German Foreign Minister, I am happy to announce that Pakistan will receive 15 million doses of the COVID vaccine under COVAX, with a commitment for these to be delivered by May,” FM Qureshi said.
On the other hand, the coronavirus has claimed 161 more lives and infected 3,377 during the past 24 hours in Pakistan on Tuesday.
The health authorities reported 161 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases surged to 837,523. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 18,310.
According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 3,377 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
Pakistan has conducted 37,587 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 3,377 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 8.98 percent.
