Jakarta: Indonesia said Tuesday it was importing emergency oxygen from neighbouring Singapore as hospitals crumbled under the weight of Covid-19, with the Delta variant continuing to wreak havoc around the globe. Faced with the threat of this highly infectious strain which continues to exact a heavy toll in human tragedies and to disrupt sports events worldwide, the global vaccination drive is heating up. On Tuesday, the United States began sending Vietnam two million doses, part of a first batch of 80 million doses that President Joe Biden has pledged to allocate to countries struggling to tame the pandemic. Vaccines are seen as the main hope of breaking a cycle of economy-busting lockdowns in a pandemic that has killed close to four million people, according to an AFP compilation of official data. But concerns have emerged that jabs initially seen as providing high protection against the virus may not be so effective against the Delta strain. Israel, whose vaccine rollout is one of the world”s fastest, warned on Monday that rising cases suggested the Pfizer/BioNTech jab they are using may not guard so well against mild illness, although it still appeared highly effective in reducing severe disease and hospitalisations. – Vaccinated medical workers dead – In Indonesia, a nightmarish Covid-19 wave has brought hospitals to their knees, with desperate families hunting for oxygen tanks to treat the sick and dying at home. Nearly 1,000 Indonesian medical workers have died of Covid-19, including more than a dozen who were already fully inoculated. On Tuesday, Jakarta said about 10,000 concentrators — devices that generate oxygen — were to be shipped from nearby Singapore with some arriving by a Hercules cargo plane earlier. The government was also in talks with other countries including China for help, it said. Senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the country was bracing “for a scenario of up to 50,000 cases a day, maybe even 60,000 to 70,000 per day at worst. ” “But we hope that won”t happen. ” Russia is also battling a surge in cases, reporting a new national record of 737 deaths over the past 24 hours. And Spain”s Catalonia region is reimposing virus restrictions such as closing nightclubs to try and tame a spike in infections, particularly among unvaccinated young people. – 100,000 daily UK cases? – Britain too is seeing a spike in new cases, warning that infections could more than treble to 100,000 a day. It has nevertheless announced it will drop most of its virus restrictions. From July 19, people will no longer need to wear masks or maintain social distance indoors, and from mid-August, those who have received both doses of the vaccine won”t even need to self isolate if they come into contact with a positive case. The Delta variant now accounts for nearly all new Covid-19 cases in Britain, but mass vaccinations have stopped a resultant surge in hospital admissions or deaths. London is preparing to host the Euro 2020 football semi-finals and final this week, with 60,000 fans allowed in at Wembley stadium — two-thirds of its capacity.
Category: Health
Pakistan Navy sets up free medical camps in AJK
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy on Sunday established free medical camps or the Kashmiri populace in far flung localities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) where over 3,000 patients of Chilabandi, Chikar and Bata Khundal Shahi were given free consultation, medicines and treatment.
A dedicated team of Pakistan Navy specialised doctors comprising Medical Specialists, General Surgeons and Physicians examined the patients through latest diagnostic equipment. The patients were provided free medicines and minor surgical procedures were also carried out at the medical camps, said a Pakistan Navy news release here received.
Besides, the local community was also given medical related precautionary information related to common infections, preventive measures particular to COVID-19 pandemic, personal health, hygiene and sanitation of living areas.
The Kashmiri people overwhelmingly welcomed and appreciated Pakistan Navy’s initiative of establishing free medical camps in rural areas of AJ&K. They acknowledged PN’s continued support for the just and legitimate struggle of Kashmiri brethren in IIOJ&K for their right of self-determination.
Five airlines asked to compensate stranded passengers
ISLAMABAD: As the nation continues its fight against the coronavirus pandemic with another consignment of vaccine from China scheduled to arrive on Sunday (today), the government has not overlooked the Pakistani travellers stranded in other countries after some international airlines cancelled their flights.
Presuming ease of travel restrictions by the authorities, the airlines had sched-uled extra flights to Pakistan and made bookings as well but then cancelled those flights af ter the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) maintained travel curbs considering the rise in Covid cases in some areas.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) took up the matter with five international airlines, directing them to accommodate the passengers on the earliest possible flights of the same or any other airline to Pakistan besides hotel accommodation and payment of damages to passengers.
The CAA also cautioned those airlines that it would be constrained to initiate regulatory action against them, which may include financial penalty, cancellation of one or more flights and revocation of schedule authorization.
In its letter to five airlines i.e. Qatar Airways, Turkish Airline, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Fly Dubai, the CAA took up the issue of inconvenience caused to passengers by flight cancellations. `It has been seriously noted that a huge number of passengers have been affected by flight cancellations of your airline to Pakistan in recent weeks. Keeping in view the imposition of flight operation restrictions (i.e. 20pc of approved inbound scheduled flight operations) since 5th May 2021 and subsequent periodic extensions of the restrictions which were duly communicated to the airlines through timely NOTAMs, the reservations made by your airline after 5th May 2021 or such passengers on such flights, were unjustified,` stated the aviation regulator.
Covid-19 risk allowance to health workers
ISLAMABAD: On the intervention of Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaier, the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has decided to pay the Covid-19 health risk allowance to the frontline health workers.
However, the healthcare workers complained that the ministry wanted to pay the allowance to selected employee despite the fact that all healthcare workers faced the risk of contractingthe virus.
Last year, the health risk allowance was paid to a majority of healthcare worl(ers but there were complaints that some of them were paid more compared to others.
During a session of the National Assembly on June 28, the speaker pointed out that the healthcare workers had not been paid the Covid-19 health risk allowance for 11 months.
`I direct the secretary Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) to address the issue till noon by June 29,` he had said.
Moderna to be made available across Pakistan from today
ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre on Saturday said that the Moderna vaccine will be available starting Monday at designated vaccination centres across Pakistan.
Inoculations using the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine have meanwhile already begun at a mass vaccination centre in Islamabad’s F-9 Park area.
NCOC also shared a list of the vaccination centres across the major cities of Pakistan where the Moderna vaccine will be available.
According to the list, it will be available at 15 locations in Punjab, 13 locations in KP, six locations in Gilgit-Baltistan, five locations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, five locations in Islamabad Capital Territory, three locations in Balochistan and two locations in Sindh.
The forum also highlighted the criteria that must be met by the recipient of the Moderna vaccine.
The vaccine will be administered to the following categories, provided they are 18 years of age or older and have NOT received any other currently available COVID-19 vaccines.
- Those with comorbid conditions, e.g diabetes, hypertension, congestive cardiac failure, renal failure, chronic liver disease, malignancy, etc. – Those who are chronically immunosuppressed:
- Post organ transplantation, the patient may receive the vaccine 3 months after transplantation procedure.
- Post chemotherapy, the patient may receive the vaccine 28 days after chemotherapy.
- Individuals with a mandatory requirement of vaccination for travel.
– Overseas workers who have a mandatory need for travel for employment overseas with valid work visas/iqama in a country where Chinese vaccines are not accepted at present
– Students
– Those travelling for official or business purposes
Women who are pregnant and lactating, falling under the above-listed categories CAN receive the Moderna vaccine.
More doses of the Sinopharm vaccine have also arrived in Pakistan, officials of the ministry of health told media.
A shipment of 700,000 doses arrived from China, said the officials.
Federal Religious minister inaugurates Samadhi of Sir Ganga Ram
LAHORE : Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri inaugurated samadhi of Sir Ganga Ram here on Saturday.
The work of samadhi of Sir Ganga Ram has been completed. The minister was given briefing on the occasion.
The minister said Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman (ETPB) was working according to vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said there were many services of Sir Ganga Ram for the humanity.
A celebration was held in Lahore on Saturday. Dr Aamir Ahmed, Imran Gondal, Deputy Secretary, Amir Hashmi, Rushan Fawad and other participated in the celebrations.
Sir Ganga Raam had served Lahore with giving Lahore the best architecture.
Sir Ganga Ram was born in 1851 in Mangtanwala, a small town about 64 km from Lahore.
He supervised the construction of high court, Cathedral and constructed the Aitcheson College.
During the period of his posting as executive engineer of Lahore, he had designed and constructed the magnificent buildings.
These included the majestic buildings of Lahore Museum, which remains a masterpiece till date, the famous and unique Mayo School of Arts which is now known as the National College of Arts and the building of which is used in several television commercials and serials, the General Post Office building on The Mall, the Albert Victor Wing of the Lahore Mayo Hospital and the Government College’s Chemical Laboratory.
Iran fears fifth wave of Covid linked to Delta variant
TEHRAN: President Hassan Rouhani expressed fears Saturday that Iran will be hit by a new wave of Covid-19 due to an outbreak of the Delta variant in the Middle East”s hardest-hit country. “It is feared that we are on the way to a fifth wave throughout the country,” Rouhani told a meeting of Iran”s anti-virus taskforce, warning the public to be careful as “the Delta variant” had entered the country from the south and southeast. Covid-19 has killed more than 84,000 people out of over 3.2 million infections in Iran, according to official figures that authorities admit do not account for all cases. Delta, first detected in India and now present in at least 85 countries, is the most contagious of any Covid-19 variant yet identified. The Islamic republic confirmed three cases of the Delta variant on May 5 in the central province of Qom. Iran”s health ministry has classified as “red” — the highest category on Iran”s coronavirus risk scale — the capital Tehran and nine other cities in Tehran province. The southern and southeastern provinces of Fars, Hormozgan, Kerman and Sistan-Baluchistan are also now classified as “red”. In red zones, all shops must stay shuttered except for those considered essential, including grocery stores and pharmacies. – Border controls – Authorities in Sistan-Baluchistan province said on Wednesday that they had closed travel across the border with Pakistan until further notice, although goods transport by road would be permitted. On Saturday, Alireza Raisi, the spokesman for the anti-virus taskforce, called for “strict controls of the country”s borders”, especially those on the eastern side of Iran. Strangled by US sanctions that have made it difficult to transfer money to foreign firms, Iran says it is struggling to import vaccines for its population of 83 million. Just over 4.4 million people have received a first dose of anti-Covid vaccine in Iran, while only 1.7 million have received the necessary two jabs, the health ministry says. “God willing, the situation will improve in terms of vaccinations from next week,” said Rouhani.
Buzdar says free health insurance for entire Punjab
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that free health insurance will be provided to the entire population in the province. In a statement on Saturday Usman Buzdar said that 66 percent increase has been made in the development budget and a composite roadmap of genuine development has been introduced in the province. The Chief Minister said that parliamentarians were consulted to finalize the Annual Development Programme and 25 billion rupees have been allocated for completion of mega projects. Sardar Usman Buzdar said in the past development was only shown on papers but the incumbent PTI government believes in taking practical steps to ensure indiscriminate development of all areas of the province.
COVID 19 national tally reports spike in positive cases
ISLAMABAD: The national tally on Friday of total active COVID-19 cases was recorded 31,910 with 1,277 more people testing positive for the deadly virus and 1,110 people recovering from the disease during the last 24 hours. Twenty-four corona patients have died during past 24 hours, 21 of whom were under treatment in the hospitals and three of them perished in their respective homes or quarantine facilities, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC). Most of the deaths occurred in Sindh and followed by Punjab. Out of the total 24 deaths occurred, 11 of them died were under treatment on ventilators. There were 1,863 Covid infected patients under treatment in critical condition and 19 of them were admitted in various Covid dedicated healthcare facilities of the country during past 24 hours. The National Covid positivity ratio during past 24 hours was recorded 2.72 percent. The Covid positivity ratio is the percentage of actual positive cases appearing in every 100 tests performed to identify infected individuals. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major cities including Islamabad 20 percent, Lahore 17 percent, Bahawalpur 18 percent and Multan 24 percent. The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID patient) was also occupied in four major cities of Gilgit 64 percent, Muzaffarabad 19 percent, Karachi 25 percent and Rawalpindi 18 percent. Around 228 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no COVID affected person was on ventilator in Balochistan, and Gilgit Baltistan (GB). Some 46,941 tests were conducted across the country on Thursday, including 13,935 in Sindh, 19,157 in Punjab, 9,555 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 1,956 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 962 in Balochistan, 676 in GB, and 700 in AJK. Around 905,430 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients. Since the pandemic broke out, a total of 959,685 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment COVID-19 patients so far, including AJK 20,405, Balochistan 27,242, GB 6,239, ICT 82,779, KP 138,179, Punjab 346,454 and Sindh 338,387.About 22,345 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion. Around 5,478 people perished in Sindh, 11 of them died in hospitals and three out of the hospitals on Thursday. Some 10,761 people died in Punjab with six deaths occurred in the hospitals in the past 24 hours. As many as 4,324 people expired in KP, four of them died in hospitals, 779 individuals died in ICT, 309 people died in Balochistan, 111 infected people perished in GB and 583 people in AJK succumbed to the deadly virus. A total of 14,637,171 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 639 hospitals are equipped with COVID facilities across the country. Some 2,112 corona patients were admitted in hospitals.
WHO okays Covid tests in schools
COPENHAGEN: The World Health Organization said Friday that Covid-19 tests should be carried out in schools — even when no cases have been detected — to avoid the “harmful” effects of remote learning. Screenings in schools had previously only been recommended if a cluster of coronavirus cases has been identified, but the WHO now believes PCR or rapid antigen tests should be given even in the absence of symptoms among students and staff. “The summer months offer a valuable window of opportunity for governments to put in place the right set of measures that will help keep infection rates down and avoid resorting to school closures,” Hans Kluge, WHO”s regional director for Europe, said in a statement issued together with UNICEF and UNESCO. He added that closing schools “as we have seen, have such a harmful effect on the education, social and mental well-being of our children and youth. ” “We can”t allow the pandemic to rob children of their education and development,” said Kluge, who has repeatedly called for countries in the WHO”s European Region to address dropout rates and health effects linked to distance learning. The WHO”s European Region spans 53 countries and territories and includes several in Central Asia. For the UN agencies, closing schools “should be considered only as a measure of last resort,” when there is an explosion of case which cannot be controlled by other measures.
