Cabinet approves vaccine purchase on emergency basis

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister’s Advisor on Health Dr Farrukh Sultan Tuesday briefed the federal cabinet on overall situation relating to coronavirus in the country and initiatives of the government being taken to keep a check on rising cases of Covid-19. 

The federal cabinet directed Ministry of Health to purchase vaccines of Covid-19 on emergency footings.

The federal cabinet also condemned recent terror attack in Balochistan’s Mach district and offered Fateha for martyred miners and Osama Satti, who died of in police shooting in Islamabad, besides the martyrs of the Armed Forces. 

Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed briefed the federal cabinet in detail on the Mach terrorism incident, in which 11 mineworkers of Hazara community were shot and killed by militants. 

The federal cabinet also approved appointment of Chairman Board of Directors for Pakistan Expo Center Private limited. The cabinet approved setting up of a special committee to make judgment on appeals under section 21 of Trade Organizations Act 2013. This special committee will remain effective and authorised till amendment in the respective law.

The federal cabinet also approved appointment for members of Press Council of Pakistan. The cabinet approved to set-up inspection committee to improve the exports standards for fisheries sector in the country. This inspection committee will be tasked the responsibility to keep check on Fish Processing Plants in the country.

This committee will include the representatives of Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and representatives of Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association. The federal cabinet also accepted the resignation of Dr Abdul Jabbar from the office of Chief Executive Officer Alternate Energy Development Board and also approved to constitute selection committee for appointment of new CEO.

Managing Director PPIB will supervise this department till appointment of new CEO. The federal cabinet also endorsed the decisions taken in the meeting of Committee for legal cases, which held on 31st December 2020.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Tuesday morning reported59 more Covid-19 related deaths, taking the country’s total death toll to 10,409. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), most of the deaths were reported from Punjab, followed by Sindh. The NCOC said that 31 Covid-19 patients died on the ventilator during the last 24 hours. Out of the 10,409 total reported deaths, there had been about 3,623 deaths in Sindh, 4,160 in Punjab, 1,683 in KP, 428 in Islamabad, 185 deaths in Balochistan, 101 deaths in G-B and 225 in AJK. According to the NCOC, about 1,903 patients had recovered from the deadly pandemic in the last 24 hours, taking total recoveries to 444,360. The forum also reported that a total of 6,884,940 tests had been conducted since the outbreak of the virus whereas a total of 490,476 coronavirus cases have been detected.

Out of the total 490,476 Covid-19 cases, NCOC reported 219,452 from Sindh, 141,393 from Punjab, 59,729 from K-P, 38,395 from Islamabad, 18,254 from Balochistan, 8383 from Azad Kashmir and 4870 from Gilgit-Baltistan. The total number of active Covid-19 cases across Pakistan was reported to be at 35,707 as of morning of January 5. The NCOC said that the number of active cases in Sindh were at 17,959, 11,008 in Punjab, 3,378 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 2,714 in Islamabad, 240 in Balochistan, 52 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 356 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The highest number of ventilators occupied in the country was found to be in Islamabad with 46 percent occupancy, followed by Multan at 44 percent, Bahawalpur 41 percent and Lahore 37 percent. 

On Tuesday morning, Sindh reported 1,049 new cases of coronavirus, raising the provincial tally to 220,501. With 11 more deaths, the death toll now stands at 3,634. The positivity rate in the province was recorded at 8.4 percent. Islamabad reported 132 more cases, GB 3 cases, AJK 26 cases and 3 deaths during the last 24 hours. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reported 245 coronavirus cases and eight more deaths during the last 24 hours. The provincial total has risen to 59,729 while the death toll is 1,683. 

Meanwhile, Balochistan reported seven more cases, taking the tally to 18,254. The death toll remains 185. Punjab reported 679 Coronavirus cases and 36 deaths in the last 24 hours. The provincial total has risen to 141,393 while the death toll is 4,160.