https://arab.news/waqrz
- Punjab leads the way with 68 percent of eligible population having received at least one dose
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vaccination rate stands at 57 percent, Sindh at 51 percent and Balochistan at 38 percent
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has so far vaccinated more than 150 million people with its most populous Punjab province leading the way by inoculating 68 percent of its eligible population, the Pakistani planning minister said on Monday.
A total of 92,086,806 people have received at least one dose of anti-COVID vaccines, while 65,149,948 individuals have been fully inoculated in the country, according to official figures.
The number of coronavirus cases has also been declining in the South Asian nation. The country reported two fatalities and 301 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours.
“Total vaccinations carried out now exceed 15 crores. Punjab leads the way in provinces with 68 percent of eligible population having received at least 1 dose,” Planning Minister Asad Umar said on Twitter.
“KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) at 57 percent, Sindh at 51 percent and Balochistan at 38 percent. Balochistan has done a great job in December and sharply increased vaccinations.”
The South Asian nation also continues to report cases of the omicron variant. The strain was first detected in South Africa last month and within a few weeks of its discovery has spread across nearly 90 countries in the world.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s federal capital reported its first case of the new strain, a senior official announced, saying the patient had traveled to Islamabad from Karachi.
Pakistan reported its first omicron case in Karachi on December 13, though many other people were suspected to have contracted the variant in other parts of the country, including Balochistan.