Government to re-intensify vaccination campaign: Asad Umar

November 29, 2021 (MLN): Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Monday said that keeping in view the impending threat of the new variant of COVID-19, the government had decided to re-intensify the vaccination campaign across the country by utilizing extra resources, as per reported by APP. 

While addressing a press briefing along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan, he said, "The vaccination process was already going on but now we are going to escalate the process and within two or three days, a reinforced vaccination campaign would start in all the provinces to minimize threat of the new variant (Omicron)."

He said the new variant was a very dangerous virus and it had potential to spread across the world. "What we can do is to at least delay the arrival of virus in Pakistan by taking prompt actions," he added.

He said the testing process had also been slowed in the country due to the low rate of cases, but now "we are going to start testing in the high risk areas to check the virus".

The minister said the government had also decided to put specific restrictions on international flights and travelers,

Asad Umar informed that till date, some 50 million people in the country had been completely inoculated while 30 million had received the first dose of the vaccine, the report added. 

"In order to minimize the threat of the new variant, I urge all those who had received first or no dose, to please complete the vaccination as soon as possible," he added.

He said by taking prompt actions during coming few weeks, the government would be able to reduce the threat of the new virus to minimum level.

Meanwhile, Dr. Faisal Sultan pointed out that the new variant has the ability to spread more rapidly than the earlier variants.

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