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Schools across Pakistan will stay open thrice a week with 50% attendance, the National Command and Operation Centre announced Sunday. After noting a rise in coronavirus cases, the forum has decided to extend the following coronavirus SOPs to 27 cities across the country till September 13: Markets to stay open till 8pm. Markets, malls, businesses to remain closed two days a week. The days will be decided by provinces. Indoor dining banned, outdoor dining allowed till 10pm. Takeaways and delivery allowed round the clock. Indoor weddings banned. Outdoor weddings with 300 people allowed till 10pm. Shrines, cinemas closed. Ban on contact sports activities and tournaments. Vaccinated people allowed inside gyms. 50% attendance in offices. Public transport to operate at 50% capacity, Railways at 70% capacity Vaccinated people allowed inside parks     Related News Covid-19: Unvaccinated people barred from using public transport in Sindh Today’s outlook: PDM Kara

Almost 70% of the new coronavirus cases reported in Peshawar are of the Delta variant, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department revealed Wednesday. According to reports, SOP violations were leading to a rapid increase in the infection rate of the deadly virus.     Related News Vaccination for Pakistanis above 17 years starts September 1: minister Vaccinated Pakistanis can now travel to Oman Sindh schools to reopen from August 30   “If the virus trend stays the same, the pressure on hospitals will increase,” KP Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said. “To curb this, the government is mulling on closing SIM cards of unvaccinated people and shutting OPDs.” Most of the public and private hospitals in Peshawar have reached their maximum capacity, he claimed, adding that the National Disaster Management Authority has provided an additional 50% beds. “But hospitalisation is the last stage. People need to follow SOPs and get vaccinated.” So far, only 20% populat

The total number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus in Pakistan reached 24,783 Friday morning, according to the National Command and Operation Centre. So far, more than a million people have recovered from the deadly virus. In the last 24 hours, over 3,200 new cases were reported, while 70 people succumbed to the virus. The infection rate in the country was reported 6.23%. Experts have warned that Pakistan is battling the fourth wave of the deadly virus. Most of the new cases are of the Delta variant. Delta variant The Delta variant of the coronavirus, also known as the Indian variant, has spread to more than 70 countries. It was first detected in India in December 2020. It is highly transmissible and appears to be more severe. The emergence of this variant “is a serious cloud on the horizon”,  says Bill Hanage, an associate professor at Harvard Chan School of Public Health.  “Delta is bad; even if we don’t know exactly how bad; recent work has pegged it at maybe 40% mor

The Punjab Health Department has imposed smart lockdown in 28 more areas of Rawalpindi district to curb the spread of coronavirus. The areas where lockdown has been imposed include: Airport Road Peshawar Road Chaklala Bahria Town Sadiqabad Wah Cantt Pirwadhai. Primary Health Secretary Sarah Aslam issued a notification saying that a smart lockdown has been placed due to the rising cases of coronavirus. The entry and exit points of the areas under smart lockdown have been sealed. The restrictions will remain in place till August 28, 2021. Must Read: NCOC releases special guidelines for Muharram gatherings, processions During the lockdown, people won’t be allowed to leave their houses except for emergencies. Grocery shops, dairy shops, pharmacies and hospitals in the areas will remain open. A ban has, however, been imposed on gatherings, pillion-riding and public transport. Shops, malls and businesses will remain closed. Earlier, on August 11, the Punjab governmen

People across Pakistan can now get their second shot of the coronavirus vaccine after 28 days, the National Command and Operation Centre announced Wednesday. Earlier, the government was administering the second shot 42 days after the first one. The new instructions were passed after approval from the health ministry and experts. It is believed that the government wants people to stop delaying the second dose. People don’t have to wait for a government SMS to get the second dose. You can get the second dose of the vaccine  ANYTIME  after the minimum time interval has elapsed. SAPM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan If you have missed your second shot, you should get it as soon as possible. Related: These  vaccination centres  in Karachi are open round the clock. The NCOC added that from September 10, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to travel . It will be mandatory for the travelers to show their immunisation certificates before boarding. Earlier in the day, one m

A fresh consignment of one million Sinopharm vaccines reached Islamabad from China Wednesday. The doses were brought by a foreign airline and were received by the Foreign Office and the Chinese embassy. They will be handed over to the Ministry of Health. Another batch of 1.5 million CanSino doses will arrive in the country in the upcoming week. On Sunday, three special Pakistan International Airline flights brought two million doses of Sinopharm . According to Planning Minister Asad Umar, more than 30 million people across the country have been vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus. Read: These vaccination centres in Karachi will run 24 hours Last week,  Pakistan achieved the milestone of immunising over one million people in a day . The highest number of people have been inoculated in Islamabad. Experts have warned the country is battling the fourth wave of the virus. In the last 24 hours, Pakistan has reported 4,856 new coronavirus cases and 81 deaths. The infection rat

People across the country do not have to wait for an SMS from 1166 for their second dose of the coronavirus vaccines, said Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan. “You can get the second dose of the vaccine ANYTIME after the minimum time interval has elapsed,” he tweeted Monday. “Don’t need to wait for reminder SMS from 1166.” You can get your second shot within 42 days of the first one and still mount a full immune response, according to the  US Centers  for Disease Control and Prevention. If you have missed your second shot, you should get it as soon as possible. These vaccination centres in Karachi are open round the clock. Here are vaccine brands and their dose timelines: Pfizer-BioNTech Type:  mRNA Doses:  2, 21 days apart Moderna Type:  mRNA Doses:  2, 28 days apart AstraZeneca-University of Oxford Type:  Adenovirus-based Doses:  2, 4 to 12 weeks apart Johnson & Johnson Type:  Adenovirus-based Doses:  1 Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine Typ

Inter, matric exams to be held from August 10 to September 2 Schools, colleges closed till Ashura Govt to meet again on Muharram 8 All board exams in Sindh, cancelled because of the coronavirus lockdown, will resume from Tuesday, August 10. Matriculation and intermediate students in the province will sit for their exams till Muharram 6. Schools, colleges, and universities will, on the other hand, remain closed till Muharram 10. In a meeting on Sunday, Sindh Education Minister Sardar Ahmed said that all regular exams will be conducted from August 10 to September 2. Students won’t be allowed to bring cell phones inside examination halls. Universities and colleges have been instructed to prepare a single formula to call back students. Ahmed added that the government will meet again in a week to decide on reopening schools after overseeing the coronavirus infection rate in the province. Educational institutions were expected to reopen on August 2 but the date has been postpone

Pakistan received two million doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China on Sunday, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Three special PIA airplanes brought the consignment from Beijing to Islamabad between the nights of August 7 and 8. The doses have been handed over to the Ministry of Health. Another batch of 1.5 million CanSino doses will arrive in the country in the upcoming week. According to Planning Minister Asad Umar, more than 30 million people across the country have been vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus. Read: These vaccination centres in Karachi will run 24 hours Last week, Pakistan achieved the milestone of immunising over one million people in a day . The highest number of people have been inoculated in Islamabad. Experts have warned the country is battling the fourth wave of the virus. In the last 24 hours, Pakistan has reported 4,455 new coronavirus cases and 68 deaths. The infection rate has risen to 8%. Students, pregnant women to g

Sindh to lift lockdown on August 9 Strict SOP implementation in Karachi, Hyderabad Decision on schools, exams to be taken in next meeting The partial lockdown in Sindh, imposed from July 31 to August 8, will be lifted on August 9, the National Command and Operation Centre announced Saturday. The Sindh government has been told to ensure strict implementation of SOPs in Karachi, Hyderabad, and 11 other cities in the province. The decision was taken in a joint meeting of the Sindh Covid-19 Taskforce and NCOC. Planning Minister Asad Umar, SAPM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah were a part of it. The forum lauded the provincial government’s efforts of curbing the deadly virus. The Covid-19 positivity ratio in Karachi fell from 24.2% to 21.4% this week. A decision regarding schools and resumption of remaining matric and inter exams Sindh will be discussed at the next meeting. Karachi lockdown On July 30, the Sindh government imposed new restrict

The government has formed a uniform policy for coronavirus lockdowns in Sindh which will be in line with the federal government’s directives, Karachi’s new administrator, Murtaza Wahab, said Saturday. In a media briefing after the Covid-19 taskforce meeting with NCOC, he said that the government will issue a notification on Sunday with some restrictions in place. “The decision to block SIM cards proved to be a game-changer.” People are more worried about their phones than their health, Wahab said, adding that since the last week of July, coronavirus cases in Karachi, and Hyderabad have gone down. Sindh imposes ‘partial lockdown’ in Karachi till August 8 In the last 24 hours, over 200,000 people were immunised against the deadly virus. A drive-thru vaccination facility has been established at the Abdul Khaliq Afghani ground. It will have 12 data entry booths and 12 vaccination booths. The centre will stay open from 4pm to 12am. The administrator has advised people to wear mask

The Turkish government has eased quarantine rules for Pakistani students returning to university after the summer break. According to the new rules, students will be allowed to quarantine at their dormitories instead of hotels. They will have to isolate for 10 days. Students will be quarantined at the Higher Education Credit and Hostels Institution’s (KYK) Muhteşem Süleyman Dormitory in Istanbul and Tahsin Banguoğlu KYK Dormitory in Ankara. The new rules came into effect August 6. The Pakistan Embassy in Ankara said students will have to show a valid student identification document showing that they study in Turkey. Pakistani students studying at universities in provinces other than Istanbul or Ankara, will only be able to travel to the provinces where their registered universities are based after the end of the quarantine period. Work/residence permit holders People from Pakistan with valid residence and work permits will be exempted from hotel quarantine and will be allowed

The Civil Aviation Authority has issued new SOPs for international inbound passengers to counter the surge of coronavirus cases globally. “All inbound passengers of and above six years will be required to carry a valid negative PCR Test Result conducted within 72 hours prior to commencement of travel to Pakistan,” a notification issued by the authority on Tuesday said. All these passengers arriving in Pakistan will be tested through rapid testing kits. Anyone between the ages of six and 12 testing positive will be home-quarantined under the supervision of local authorities, the notification added. Passengers over the age of 12 testing positive will be quarantined at a designated place as per the existing policy, it added. The new SOPs will be effective from August 9, Monday. from government updates – SAMAA https://ift.tt/2VnQ8qe

More than a million people were vaccinated against the novel coronavirus across Pakistan Monday, according to the National Command and Operation Centre. So far, more than 30 million people have been immunised against the deadly virus. On Sunday, NCOC chief Asad Umar said that the country broke all records of vaccination on all six days last week . The government has been encouraging people to get inoculated as soon as possible as Pakistan battles the fourth wave of the deadly virus. On Monday, the federal government tightened coronavirus restrictions in major cities in all provinces. The decision was taken after a discussion with Prime Minister Imran Khan. Here are the new SOPs: Indoor dining banned Outdoor dining allowed till 10pm Takeaways and delivery allowed 24 hours Markets to close by 8pm Markets will be closed twice a week (provinces to decide the days) Weddings with a maximum of 400 vaccinated guests allowed Ban on processions and gatherings 50% attendance at of

Indoor dining in all major cities across Pakistan has been banned and markets will be allowed to stay open till 8pm, the NCOC announced Monday. In a media briefing in Islamabad, Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar said that the government has decided to tighten coronavirus restrictions as the country continues to battle the fourth wave of the novel coronavirus. Here are the new SOPs announced after permission from Prime Minister Imran Khan: Indoor dining banned Outdoor dining allowed till 10pm Takeaways and delivery allowed 24 hours Markets to close by 8pm Markets will be closed twice a week (provinces to decide the days) Weddings with a maximum of 400 vaccinated guests allowed Ban on processions and gatherings 50% attendance at offices Public transport to operate at 50% capacity The new restrictions will be imposed in Islamabad and these cities from August 3 to August 31. Sindh (after the current partial lockdown ends) >Karachi >Hyderabad Punjab >Lahor

The Sindh government drive-thru coronavirus vaccination center is open again at Bin Qasim Park Clifton in Karachi to help manage the large numbers of people lining up. This service is being offered between 4pm to 12pm daily. Vaccines: Moderna, Sinovac, Sinopharm, CanSino and Pakvac. People rushed to vaccination centres across the city after the Sindh government tightened restrictions and imposed a partial lockdown. The rush is being caused by the fear that the Sindh government will go through with its deadline of blocking salaries for unvaccinated people after August 31. from government updates – SAMAA https://ift.tt/3A5gqN7

PTI’s Haleem Adil Sheikh is against the Sindh government’s decision to lock down the province over coronavirus, which is why he found a unique way to prove his point over the weekend. First he went to Jamshoro, then he held a briefing at the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway. At the briefing, he lashed out at the Sindh government for its decision to lock down the province over coronavirus. “The Sindh chief minister is doing politics on the direction of his boss Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,” he said. He then proceeded to Nawabshah on Sunday night—where he attended a wedding as a special guest. Other political leaders felt the same way. MNA Aslam Khan’s daughter’s valima was held in Karachi where SOPs were not followed. The Sindh government has imposed a partial lockdown in the province after a rise in the coronavirus infection rate. All unnecessary movement, gatherings, and events have been banned. Exams have been postponed and takeaway from restaurants has been prohibited. On Saturday, S

The Islamabad administration has decided to impose a smart lockdown and seal 44 streets in different sectors of the federal capital on Sunday. The lockdown will come into effect from Sunday 12am. All kinds of movement except for essential services, groceries, medicines and patients seeking medical help, to and from sealed streets will be restricted. The administration says that all the houses with positive cases are being quarantined and, police and administration will check them. Anyone not staying inside will be penalised, a notification issued by the district magistrate Islamabad reads. Islamabad streets that have been sealed: •             Sector G-10/3: Street nos. 52, 53, 69 and 70 •             Sector F-11/3: Street nos. 46 and 53 •             Sector G13/2: Street nos. 47,48 abd 49 •             Sector E-11/4: Street nos. 1, 2 and 6 •             Sector I-10/2: Street nos. 32 and 33 •             Sector G13/2: Street nos. 30, 32, 45 and 74 •             Sector G-

https://www.samaa.tv/wp-content/uploads//usr/nfs/sestore3/samaa/vodstore/digital-library/2020/08/Qasim-Shoomro.mp4 The Sindh government has decided to run at least one coronavirus vaccination centre round the clock in every district of the province. Nine inoculation centres will operate for 24 hours in Karachi, Health Secretary Qasim Soomro told SAMAA TV Sunday. The hospitals have been instructed to ensure the presence of doctors, nurses, and staff members. Here’s the list of the centres: Dow University’s Ojha Campus Khaliq Dina Hall Jinnah Medical College Hospital Children’s Hospital, North Nazimabad Sindh Government Hospital, North Karachi Government Qatar Hospital, Korangi Sindh Government Korangi No. 5 Hospital Murad Memon Hospital, Malir Karachi Expo Centre The government is making preparations for a drive-thru vaccination facility as well, Soomro said, adding that 15 new centres will be opened in the city. People rushed to vaccination centres across the city af

Pakistan has achieved a major milestone of administering five million coronavirus vaccine doses in six days, Minister for Planning and Special Initiatives Asad Umar revealed. So far, 30 million people have been immunised in the country. Pakistan has crossed 3 crore vaccinations. The first crore took 113 days. The second 28 days and the 3rd only 16 days. Pace has rapidly increased. All 6 days this week were a record. 9 lakh 34 thousand vaccinations yesterday . In last 6 days 5 million vaccinations were done. — Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 1, 2021 “The first crore took 113 days. The second 28 days and the 3rd only 16 days. Pace has rapidly increased. All six days this week were a record. Nine lakh 34 thousand vaccinations yesterday,” Umar tweeted Sunday. In a media briefing Sunday , the minister said that NCOC has devised a plan for targeted lockdowns in the country which will be discussed with Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday. He stressed four ways of protection against th

Pakistan has banned air travel for people who have not yet been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. The National Command and Operation Centre has made coronavirus vaccination certificates mandatory for domestic air travel from August 1. Get yourself vaccinated by July 31 and carry your immunization certificates at all times to avoid any trouble, the forum tweeted earlier this week. According to NCOC chief Asad Umar, people above the age of 18 who have administered at least one dose of the vaccine will be allowed to board flights. The government tightened Covid-19 restrictions across the country after infections rose. Pakistan is currently battling the fourth wave of the deadly virus. In the last 24 hours, over 5,000 new cases were reported. The infection rate in the country has jumped to 8.02% — the highest since May 2021. Follow SAMAA English on  Facebook ,  Twitter , and  Instagram . from government updates – SAMAA https://ift.tt/3rJkcZA