https://arab.news/c59yv
- Pakistan recorded its first case of the coronavirus in February 2020
- It has since recorded 1,167,791 total infections with almost 26,000 deaths
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s planning minister Asad Umar, who also heads the country’s federal pandemic response body, said on Thursday hospital inflows and the number of COVID-19 patients in critical care were at the “highest level” since the start of the pandemic in February last year.
Then health minister Dr. Zafar Mirza announced on February 26 last year that Pakistan had reported its first two cases of the coronavirus. Since then, the country has recorded 1,167,791 confirmed infections, with almost 26,000 deaths.
“Right now both hospital inflow & critical care patients at highest level since start of covid,” Umar said on Twitter, urging people to follow health guidelines and get vaccinated.
Pakistan launched its coronavirus vaccination drive in February this year and has so far fully vaccinated 18 million of its 220 million population. Health officials say at least 70 million Pakistanis are eligible for vaccination.
On Wednesday this week, Pakistan opened its coronavirus vaccination campaign for 17 year olds as minister Umar said at least 35 percent of the eligible population had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.