KARACHI: Pakistan's Sindh province will take into consideration next week mandatory coronavirus vaccination for its residents, a government spokesperson said on Saturday, after the provincial health department recommended the measure to stop the disease spread.

As authorities have warned earlier this week that a fourth wave of the coronavirus is starting in Pakistan, health officials are struggling to increase the pace of vaccination. So far, slightly over 19 million people, or about 8 percent of the country's population have been inoculated against COVID-19.

With a population of 47 million, Sindh has so far administered 4 million coronavirus vaccine doses, while it is observing a sharp rise in cases with the rate having already increased to 6.8 percent from 4.9 percent in the first week of July, data released on Saturday showed.

Sindh Health Department director general Dr. Irshad Memon said in statement on Friday that except for emergency cases and elective surgeries, private and government hospitals in the province would provide medical services only to vaccinated persons. He added that COVID-19 vaccination would be mandatory for "job tests and interviews, entry into restaurants, hotels and marriage halls."

"Next week a task force meeting will be held to review the situation and decisions may be taken accordingly," Rasheed Channa, spokesperson for the Sindh chief minister, told Arab News in response to a question whether the health department's recommendations will be implemented.

Consequences, however, are planned for government officials who do not get vaccinated. Last month, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced that the salaries of unvaccinated employees would be suspended.

"It has not been decided yet," Channa said, "but the chief minister has directed the finance department to work out details of employees who have got themselves vaccinated, so that action could be taken against unvaccinated."