LAHORE: While the COVID-19 vaccination drive started in Punjab on Wednesday, the positivity rate of coronavirus cases remained 4.39% in the province, as out of 13,047 tests conducted during the last 24 hours, 573 fresh virus cases and 13 deaths were reported taking the provincial tally of cases to 158,793 and fatalities to 4806.
With recovery of 556 more people from the virus, the number of recovered patients has reached 144,208 in the province. On the other hand, with 1,509 recoveries across the country over the past 24 hours, the total number of recoveries reached 504,046.
As per break up of virus cases and deaths due to corona in major cities of the province, Lahore has so far reported 80320 cases and 1909 deaths, Rawalpindi 14130 cases and 813 deaths, Faisalabad 8909 cases and 434 deaths, Rahim Yar Khan reported 2168 cases and 107 deaths, Sargodha reported 3003 cases and 129 deaths and Multan reported 9180 cases and 345 deaths.
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar formally launched the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Punjab.
Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Sarwar said that the people of Punjab will be vaccinated against coronavirus without any discrimination. By gifting corona vaccine to Pakistan, China has once again proved that Pak-China friendship is ‘stronger than steel’ and the two countries have always stood by each other in difficult times.
The CM said that in the first phase, doctors and medical personnel fighting on the frontline against coronavirus are being vaccinated, after which corona vaccine will be administered to senior citizens along with health workers. The government will vaccinate the citizens free of cost. The complete data of those who have been vaccinated in the vaccination centers in Punjab will be kept safe and secure. Registration of more than 0.4 million frontline healthcare workers has been completed.
He said technical training has so far been provided to more than 600 people in 36 districts of Punjab for vaccination against coronavirus. Master trainees will train more staff and Punjab has received 70,000 doses of corona vaccine while more vaccines will be available in the next three weeks. The Punjab government has allocated more than Rs1 billion for the purchase of corona vaccine if required, he added.
Moreover, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid in a briefing said, “Under the prime minister’s health initiative the up-gradation work is underway in eight districts of the province - Attock, Mianwali, Chiniot, Kasur, Lodhran, Jhang, DG Khan and Rajanpur.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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