Pakistan says ‘Indian variant’ of COVID-19 not detected, denies only relying on vaccine donations

Health official collect swab samples from teachers to test for the coronavirus at a government school in Karachi, Pakistan, on September 14, 2020. (AFP/File)

• Heath chief says government has signed contracts for 30 million doses including technology transfer from China
• Says delays in arrival of more vaccines due to global supply shortages, two million people vaccinated so far

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s health ministry has said the country had not yet reported any cases of the “Indian strain” of the coronavirus considered to be responsible for a catastrophic second wave of the pandemic in its South Asian neighbor, while the prime minister’s special adviser on health said on Tuesday it was “incorrect” to say the government was only relying on gifts and donations of vaccine jabs to meet its demand. 
India recorded more than 320,000 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday as a grim surge of illness and death ripped through the country.
Syed Sajid Shah, a spokesperson for the Pakistani health ministry, told reporters on Monday the country was still “safe” from the Indian variant while cases of the UK variant were being reported in Pakistan.
Pakistan has already banned land and air travel from India. Last week, it offered “relief support” to India as hospitals in the neighboring nation begged for oxygen supplies and coronavirus infections soared. 
On Tuesday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, said the government was not solely relying on gifts and donations of vaccines and had a purchase plan in place, including contracts with three vaccine companies.
“To say that the government is waiting to receive vaccines as gifts is incorrect,” Sultan said, adding that the delay in the arrival of more vaccines in Pakistan was due to global supply shortages.
We have signed deals for 30 million doses, including a deal for technology transfer and joint manufacturing of China’s CanSino vaccine, the health chief said, adding that money was not a concern and the government was willing to spend.
“Many countries were not able to get vaccines despite advance booking,” Sultan said, giving the examples of Canada and Australia and adding that the government was also yet to receive vaccine jabs from global alliance COVAX, delayed due to supply chain issues.
He said the government had purchased three million doses of available vaccines by March 30 and two million people had so far been inoculated.