COVID-19 has claimed the lives of another 66 individuals in Pakistan, with 3,800 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours, according to official figures released on Monday morning.
According to the website of the National Command and Operation Centre, 56,279 coronavirus tests were performed across the country in the past 24 hours, with 3,800 of them returning positive.
The percentage of positive cases over the previous 24 hours, according to the official site, was 6.75 percent.
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 25,670 people in the country, bringing the total number of cases to 1,156,281.
In addition, 3,548 patients across the country have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 1,036,921, with 93,690 ongoing cases.
Pakistan is reporting an average of 4,095 new infections per day, which is 70% of the peak – the highest daily average was recorded on June 17.
So far, Pakistan has given out at least 50,985,184 doses of COVID vaccination. Assuming that each individual requires two doses, it would be enough to vaccinate 11.8 percent of the country’s population.
Pakistan gave an average of 600,802 dosages per day over the latest week reported. At this pace, administering enough dosages for another 10% of the population will take another 73 days.
The Ministry of National Health Services set the price of a single dosage of Covid-19 booster injection for those travelling overseas at Rs1,270 on Saturday.
According to a ministry announcement, the price was set in accordance with a decision made by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) at a meeting on August 24.
Booster injections will be given to travellers at designated vaccination centres after payment of the fee, according to the notice.
It went on to say that the money may be put into the appropriate account at any National Bank of Pakistan branch.
The decision comes as Pakistanis continue to suffer coronavirus-related travel restrictions, with many countries refusing to recognise Chinese Covid-19 vaccinations, which have been given to the vast majority of Pakistanis.
Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow international travellers who were completely vaccinated with either of the two Chinese vaccines, Sinopharm or Sinovac, to enter the country, providing they also got a booster injection of one of the four vaccinations authorised by the Kingdom.
Later, it eased Covid-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals, enabling them to enter the Kingdom straight from countries with travel bans, such as Pakistan. The exception is individuals who have a valid residence permit (Iqama) who departed the Kingdom on a departure and re-entry visa after receiving two doses of the Covid-19 vaccination in Saudi Arabia.
Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, had previously said at a news conference that a booster injection for frontline health professionals over 50 might be considered after six months after their second dosage.
After the August 24 NCOC meeting, he told reporters alongside Federal Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar, “If this decision is taken, it will be implemented from Oct 1.”
He went on to say that the fully vaccinated immunocompromised individuals were the second group under consideration for the booster injection and that if they were allowed, they may receive it six months after their first vaccine.
