ISLAMABAD: Planning minister Asad Umar, who also oversees the country’s pandemic response, said on Monday the government aimed to administer coronavirus vaccines to 70 million people by the end of the year, with as many people as possible inoculated by July so restrictions would not have to be imposed for the Eid Al-Adha in late July. 

Pakistan last week opened up its vaccination campaign to everyone aged 19 or older as it scrambles to protect more of its 220 million people.

Pakistan initially had to deal with vaccination hesitancy and a shortage of vaccine supplies and had limited shots to people aged 30 or over. But with purchases and donations from China and allocations from the World Health Organization and the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, it has now secured more than 18 million doses and is keen to get them out into the population.

“According to our figures, more than 7 million vaccine doses have been administered,” Umar said, adding that the government’s target was to vaccine 70 million people across Pakistan by the end of the year, with a particular emphasis on achieving high vaccination rates in June and July so that strict restrictions would not have to be imposed before and during the Eid Al-Adha holiday, as had happened for the Eid Al-Fitr break. 

Umar said the strict but “timely decision” by the government to impose a lockdown in the last week of Ramadan and before and during Eid Al-Fitr had produced results and stemmed the spread of the disease. However, he stressed the need for the public to keep exercising caution and following standard operating procedures. 

Meanwhile, Islamabad reopened its water and amusement parks on Monday, nearly a week after registering a nationwide drop in new COVID-19 cases, while the positivity rate stood at less than 5 percent for the sixth consecutive day across the country, official data showed.

Islamabad’s district administration said the decision was taken “amid low disease transmission and in light of global practices.”

“It is subject to the strict adherence of following protocols,” it said in a notification issued on Monday, adding: “Fifty percent capacity will be ensured at all entertainment facilities.”

Starting from May 16, Pakistan began relaxing its COVID-19 restrictions – which had been imposed ahead of the Eid Al-Fitr holidays – before resuming public transport services in all provinces and cities and re-opening markets under strict health protocols across the country.

According to the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the federal body dealing with the country’s COVID-19 response, Pakistan on Monday reported a 4.05 percent positivity rate for COVID-19, with 2,117 new cases and 43 deaths.

Statistics 31 May 21:
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 52,223
Positive Cases: 2117
Positivity % : 4.05%
Deaths : 43

— NCOC (@OfficialNcoc) May 31, 2021