NCOC directs provinces to adopt strict measures for ensuring Covid-19 SOPs

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday directed the provincial governments to take strict administrative actions against the masses flouting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of COVID-19, ARY News reported.

The NCOC issued directives during a meeting held in Islamabad today with Planning and Development minister Asad Umar in the chair.

The meeting was attended by chief secretaries of the provinces including that of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) via video link.

The forum decided to take all possible steps to ensure the implementation of COVID SOPs along with pursuing the mass vaccination campaign.

All the federating units have also been directed to check the growing trend of non-implementation of SOPs to contain the spread of disease in the country.

The forum expressed concern over the non-compliance of SOPs.

Covid-19 vaccination drive 

Pakistan on Thursday started vaccinating citizens over 18 years of age against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Vaccine registration for people aged 18 and older began on May 27. Citizens can sign up for the Covid-19 vaccination by sending their CNIC number to 1166.

In a message on his official Twitter account today, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, who heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said, “The acceleration of vaccination drive in the country being made possible by a huge investment by the federal govt.”

“So far the procurement of vaccine has reached nearly quarter of a billion dollars. Much more to be spent next year for the procurement of the vaccine,” he added.

Pakistan has so far administered nearly eight million doses of COVID vaccine as the country has begun vaccination of people aged upto 19 years for the inoculation drive.

According to statistics shared on the Twitter handle of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), as many as 305,093 people were administered COVID vaccine on June 01.

Pakistan Covid cases

Pakistan reported 92 more deaths from the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, pushing the nationwide tally of fatalities to 21,022.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, the COVID-19 cases witnessed a minor surge over the past 24 hours as many as 2,028 new cases of the COVID-19 detected. The overall country’s caseload stands at 926,695.