Pakistan's fight against coronavirus in critical phase: SAPM Mirza

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza on Saturday said that people needed to observe extreme caution and lamented the lack of responsibility shown by the people on first day of Ramzan, ARY News reported.

SAPM Mirza said that the people should try and not crowd places, if a place has been crowded then one should try and avoid being a part of that very crowd and seek another avenue for the purchase they need to make.

SAPM Mirza also said that Pakistan has entered a critical juncture in terms of the coronavirus outbreak and it needs to be dealt with extreme caution.

He also lauded the Yaran-e-Watan initiative announced earlier in the day enabling overseas Pakistani health professionals to support the country’s efforts to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

Mentioning the rumors being circulated in the media of their being a possibility of a coronavirus vaccine being prepared by Pakistan, SAPM Mirza categorically denied any such initiative.

SAPM Mirza said that China has prepared a vaccine but is currently testing it on human subjects, it has asked Pakistan to do the same and share results.

Zafar Mirza entailed that the government of Pakistan has in-turn asked for more information on the matter before a decision is made.

He also said that China is very close to making a definitive vaccine for the pathogen while Japan has also reached over to Pakistan to discuss possibilities of human testing of a batch of vaccines being prepared by them.

Mirza said that more information and documents on the Japanese vaccine has also been sought.

Japan approaches Pakistan after China to discuss possibility of human trials