Chinese anti-Covid vaccines coming regularly: Planning Minister

Gwadar Pro

Islamabad: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar has said that Covid vaccines were regularly coming from China to support Pakistan’s anti-pandemic campaign.

“China has been very helpful. The vaccines are regularly coming from China to push our cause forward. China has played a great role in our anti-Covid fight,” Umar told Gwadar Pro.

The Planning Minister said the recent approval of the Chinese vaccines by Saudi Arabia had been widely welcomed in the country. “We have so many people working in Saudi Arabia. This was a great new for them,” he added.

Umar said Chinese vaccines were very effective and we being used across the country to ward off the pandemic.

Earlier in the day, in a series of tweets, Umar said some 20 out of 24 cities met the target of vaccinating 40 percent population of 18 years and above.

“We had set a minimum target of 40% of 18 plus population being partially vaccinated by end August for 24 large cities. Out of these 20 met the target,” he said. The cities that missed the target included Hyderabad, Mardan, Nowshera and Quetta.

The minister who is also head of the COVID monitoring body said, the vaccination targets for 24 large cities by end September had also been set as 60 percent (partial vaccination) and 40 percent (full vaccination) of eligible population.

“These are tough targets, especially for full vaccination but achievable with a focused effort and high quality execution,” he added.

With respect to the daily vaccination, the minister informed that single day vaccination crossed one and a half million for the first time as yesterday 1.59 million vaccinations were carried out.

“Both first dose and second dose vaccinations yesterday were highest ever with 1 million 71 thousand and 519 thousand respectively,” he added.

He said 35 percent of national eligible population had received at least one dose. “Islamabad is at 69%, Azad Kashmir 51%, Gilgit Baltistan 39%, Punjab 37%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwah 35%, Sind 32% and Balochistan 12%,” Asad Umar said.