Two-week complete lockdown in Punjab on cards
Staff Reporter Islamabad/Lahore
Pakistan recorded 201 Covid-19 deaths in a day for the first time since the start of the pandemic on Wednesday, as the government said it was considering stricter lockdowns.
According to the National Command Operation Centre, which oversees the government’s pandemic response the previous highest daily death count was 157 recorded on April 23.
The national positivity ratio, the number of infections among those tested, was 10.8 per cent.
The death rate, the number of infections resulting in fatalities, hit the highest point since the start of the pandemic, reaching around 2.2pc.
Officials have said healthcare facilities are at risk of being overwhelmed. Pakistan has very limited health resources, with ventilators and oxygen in short supply.
The province of Sindh announced intercity transportation would be halted starting April 30, and remain in place through May 17, just after the Eid holiday.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on Wednesday that a total of 2.1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses had been administered in Pakistan.
The federal minister posted on Twitter that “daily vaccinations crossed 100,000 in a day for the first time yesterday.
“Good to see more people registering,” he said, and further encouraged people above 40 years of age to register themselves for vaccination if they hadn’t done so already.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan on Wednesday said that the walk-in coronavirus vaccination process for people above 50 age has begun.
Meanwhile Amraiz Khan from Lahore reports, the Punjab government is considering to impose a two-week lockdown in the various parts of the Province. The final decision will be taken at the NCOC meeting.
A complete lockdown has been proposed from the first week of next month.
