ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister and NCOC Chief Asad Umar termed the new Covid variant ‘very dangerous’, saying vaccination will be effective to stern the spread.
PTI Minister addressing a presser in the country’s federal capital warned that the latest concerning variant of the novel virus will inevitably come to Pakistan and we had only a few weeks to contain its threat.
The Minister stressed the need for Pakistanis to get vaccinated and complete their doses as soon as possible. “The strain has to spread in the whole world as we saw before that when a variant comes, the world is so interconnected that it is impossible to stop it,” he said.
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کورونا وائرس کے نئے ورینٹ کے حوالے سے اہم پریس بریفنگوفاقی وزیر اسد عمر کا معاون خصوصی ڈاکٹر فیصل سلطان کے ہمراہ اہم خطاب@Asad_Umar @nhsrcofficial @OfficialNcoc @fslsltn https://t.co/WXmxX2myN8
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) November 29, 2021
NCOC chief also called on citizens to get the second dose, adding that a massive vaccination campaign will be started in the provinces in the next 2-3 days.
Commenting on the stern measures, he said the number of daily tests, particularly in high-risk areas, will be increased – which had previously been reduced as the positivity rate declined.
Asad mentioned that the contact-tracing system would be revived as he emphasised the need to revive it with more resources.
Stern restrictions had been placed on travelers coming from abroad and further measures would be taken to delay the variant’s entry into the country.
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PM’s aide on health Dr. Sultan also mentioned the new variant is spreading faster compared to previous variants and that is why it is being treated as a ‘variant of concern’. The new variant has the potential to pose threat to the healthcare system that could potentially lead to a shortage of beds and other medical services.
Earlier, Sindh health authorities also announced to vaccinate all residents with a booster shot of Pfizer to curb the risk of transmission and re-infection posed by the Omicron variant.
UK announces test and quarantine rules for travelers as Omicron variant triggers alarm
