Islamabad’s Covid-19 positivity drops below 1pc
Zubair Qureshi
The federal capital on Tuesday saw for the first time during the last four months period, record decline in Covid-19 positivity rate that went lower than even one per cent.
According to the District Health Officer of Islamabad, Dr Zaeem Zia, 31 cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed against 3463 tests run in the Federal Capital during the last twenty-four hours..
For the first time since the third wave started, positivity has dropped to the lowest i.e. 0.9 percent on Tuesday, further said Dr Zaeem.
To a question, he said the DHO teams were working 24/7 the entire year to make sure Islamabad remains safe.
One person also died of Covid-19 during the past twenty-four hours taking the toll to 773 while the total number of cases in Islamabad reached 82,170.
According to the National Command & Operation Centre (NCOC) Islamabad is ahead of other cities of Pakistan with regard to the percentage of vaccination of its population.
The federal capital’s recovered cases have also reached 79,853 showing a steady increase in the recoveries.
Meanwhile, the District Health Department has also set up a helpline to make reminder calls to those whose second dose is due and they should be vaccinated.
Dr Faisal Sultan, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Health when asked how many people would be there whose second dose is due but they are not turning up, said, around 15 per cent of the recipients of the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine have not turned up for the second dose despite the fact it is overdue.
According to the National Command & Operation Centre (NCOC), so far, 11.085 million doses have been administered across the country while 3.006 million persons have been completely administered.
“We have compliance reports of around 85 per cent but 15 per cent are those who have not reported even after 25 days have passed since they received the first jab,” said Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to PM on Health.
“We are sending them reminders and calling them as their data is saved with us as well as the National Database And Registration Authority (NADRA) and hopefully, they will be brought around seeing the overwhelming public response to our call for vaccination,” said Dr Faisal.
Besides sending them reminders, the NCOC is weighing other options such as launching an online campaign, using print, electronic and social media to make them realize their vaccination would be completed only after they get a second shot.
