Daily Times

The Sindh government has decided to open primary schools from June 21 in the drive to ease coronavirus restriction following the decline in the number of cases.

The decision was made in a meeting of the Provincial Task Force chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

Provincial ministers Saeed Ghani, Azra Pechuho, Murtaza Wahab, Dr Azra Fazal, Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, Parliamentary Secretary Qasim Siraj Soomro, Chief Secretary, IG Police, ACS Home, PSCM, Adl IG Karachi, Secretaries – Finance Hassan Naqvi, School Education Ahmed Bux Narejo, Industries Riazuddin Dr Bari, Dr Faisal, Dr Sara of WHO, Dr Qaiser Sajjad and representatives of Corps-5, Rangers and other organizations were also among the attendees.

The committee was briefed on the pandemic situation and the shortage of vaccines was also mentioned. So far 3,243,988 doses of vaccines have been received. Of them, 2,873,857 were utilized and only 370,141 were left.

The CM said that all vaccination centres will remain closed on Sunday due to the shortage.

Minister Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho briefed that the federal government has informed health department that Sputnik vaccine would be provided to Sindh by the last week of June or first week of July.

According to details, 1.5 million doses of Sinovac will be received on June 21, 700,000 doses of Cansino vaccine on June 23, 400,000 doses of PakVac on June 23 while the Russian Sputnik V vaccine will be available in the last week of the current month or in the first week of July.

The chief minister was also briefed on the covid-19 positivity ratio, which has significantly reduced in the province. However, it was stated that the rate is still high and precautions must be taken.

The health department briefing the task force members said that 13,970 tests were conducted on June 18, against which 542 cases have been detected that constituted 3.9 per cent detection rate.

Though overall detection rate has come down, Karachi alone has 8.08 percent detection rate, the CM added that in district Karachi East detection rate was recorded 14 percent, in South 10 percent, Central nine percent, Korangi and Malir seven percent each and in district Sukkur also seven percent.

“The situation will continue to improve when people follow the SOPs,” CM Murad said.

The meeting was informed that Sindh had 82 COVID-19 related deaths during the previous week, of them Karachi East had 25 deaths, Central 25, Korangi eight, South and West six each and Sukkur four. From June 3 to 18, as many as 263 patients succumbed to COVID-19, of them 75 percent or 151 were on ventilators, 19 percent or 49 off ventilators and 24 percent or 63 at homes.

The meeting was told that so far 42,532 passengers landed at Jinnah Terminal, of whom 95 tested positive.

The chief minister commented that from next week sufficient jab doses would be available to speed up the vaccination drive.

It was also decided to reopen shrines, amusement parks, swimming pools and indoor gyms from June 28.