The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced that the administration of Covid-19 booster jabs to people over 30 years of age will begin on Monday.

“From tomorrow onwards, citizens over 30 years will be eligible for a booster dose of their choice,” the NCOC said on Twitter. It added that the booster shots will be administered after a gap of six months from the last dose.

The forum also urged people to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) against Covid-19 and get the booster jab to protect themselves and their loved ones against the Omicron threat.

Earlier on Sunday, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar urged people to show caution and follow standard operation procedures (SOPs) against the coronavirus, as another wave of Covid-19 was in the offing.

In a tweet, Umar, who also heads NCOC, said that “Genome sequencing shows a rising proportion of Omicron cases particularly in Karachi.”

He said that the outbreak had been expected for the last few weeks.

“Remember: wearing a mask is your best protection,” the minister insisted.

His remarks come days after Karachi confirmed 11 more cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus on Friday.

As per reports, 11 members of a single-family were found to be infected with the new strain.

The affected people, residents of the city’s District East, include eight women and three men whose ages range from 26 to 77. The number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the metropolis has risen to 44 with the addition of the new cases.

On Dec 28, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said so far 75 cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in Pakistan. 33 of the cases were reported in Karachi, 17 in Islamabad, and 13 in Lahore.

The NIH said that authorities were conducting contact tracing to prevent the further spread of the Omicron variant in the country.