Islamabad: As Pakistan is reporting new cases of COVID-19 on a daily basis, the number of recoveries is also on the rise.
According to the official portal of the National Health Ministry, on Friday Pakistan’s total recoveries from COVID-19 crossed 500,000 landmark and with 1,387 recoveries over the past 24 hours, the total number stood at 525,087.
The country reported 1,404 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the last twenty-four hours and with that number Pakistan’s COVID-19 cases have surged to 563,029. Similarly, with 31 fatalities during this period, the toll because of COVID-19 stood at 12,307.
According to the National Command & Operation Centre (NCOC) figures, there are still 25,635 active cases and 1,702 critical cases of COVID-19 in the country.
Price cap
Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has allowed private companies to import COVID-19 vaccine and also exempted them price cap on its commercial use or sale in the market.
According to the DRAP officials, the decision has been taken to provide an opportunity to private companies to import vaccine and help save precious lives.
However, import of only the registered vaccine, which is already being used in the countries where it has been manufactured, will be allowed, they made clear.
Following the government’s decision, a private entity, ‘Chughtai Lab’ has announced it would soon receive Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for commercial sale. With private companies using vaccines commercially, Pakistan would become one of the first countries to market shots privately.
Director of the lab, Dr Omar Chughtai in a tweet announced the decision saying the Russian vaccine has shown 91.6 per cent efficacy results. “We have been already authorized for use in Pakistan,” he further said adding, the lab was currently working on appointment setting system,” said Chughtai in his tweet.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan government is waiting for a response from Saudi Arabia on Haj 2021 and ready to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for COVID-19 if the Saudi government decides so, according Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri.
