Punjab set to launch door-to-door COVID vaccination drive

To meet the targets set by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the Punjab government has decided to launch a door-to-door corona vaccination campaign in five cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi.

The decision was taken at a meeting jointly chaired by Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid and Chief Secretary Punjab Jawwad Rafique Malik at the Civil Secretariat on Saturday.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Yasmin Rashid said that the NCOC has set a target of vaccinating 40 percent of the population over 18 years of age in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and 70 per cent of Rawalpindi population by August 14.

She directed that the number of drive-through vaccination centers in Lahore be increased to facilitate more people. She maintained that vaccination and compliance with SOPs is the only solution to ward off coronavirus.

The Chief Secretary Punjab said that the vaccination targets set by the NCOC would be achieved and mobile teams would be formed for door-to-door vaccination. He said that the citizens should continue to follow the precautionary measures along with vaccination.

According to the latest figures from the NCOC, 20,202,951 adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Still, progress has plateaued across the country, with the rate of new vaccinations on the decline, spurring concern that steep rises in COVID-19 cases may be seen in areas with low vaccination rates.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's coronavirus tally Monday reached 1,008,446 with the detection of 3,752 new cases in the last 24 hours, with authorities linking the uptick in numbers to the fourth wave of the deadly outbreak across the country.