Health

A prove-your-identity condition may leave three million people in the country without coronavirus vaccines, including mainly unregistered refugees, jeopardising Pakistan’s fight against the pandemic. Currently, only Pakistani nationals or immigrants who have either computerised national identification cards (CNIC) or official refugee status can receive the jabs. Pakistan has so far vaccinated nearly 3 million people, a ratio well below that …

SWAT: Despite alarming situation of Covid-19 in Swat, the people of the district are hesitant to get vaccinated against the virus. According to the office of district health officer, at least 298 people have died of Covid-19 in Swat so far. However, local sources claim that more than 1,000 people have died of the pandemic in the district. After the …

ISLAMABAD: While the country reported over 4,200 cases of coronavirus on Thursday after a gap of 13 days, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) waived the age limit for vaccination of those who intend to travel abroad. On the other hand, the Pakistan Medical Associa­tion (PMA) expressed concern over the government’s decision to relax Covid-related restrictions on commercial activities, …

ISLAMABAD: A day after the government decided to open educational institutions, restaurants and tourist destinations, Pakistan recorded a spike in daily Covid-19 cases. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, as many as 4,207 new Covid-19 cases of the coronavirus emerged across the country over the last 24 hours when 51,130 samples were tested. The positivity ratio …

PARIS: The French on Wednesday joyfully made their way back to cafes and prepared long-awaited visits to cinemas and museums as the country loosened restrictions in a return to semi-normality after over six months of Covid-19 curbs. Cafes and restaurants with terraces or rooftop gardens can now offer outdoor dining, under the second phase of a lockdown-lifting plan that should …

BRUSSELS: European Union member states on Wednesday agreed to reopen the bloc’s borders to travellers who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, European sources said. Meeting in Brussels, diplomats also agreed to increase the level of new cases a country can hit before being declared unsafe — a measure that would open up travel into the EU from more …

ISLAMABAD: Coronavirus has claimed 104 more lives across Pakistan over the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 19,856. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 3,256 new COVID-19 infections were reported during the said period. Overall 886,184 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the country so far. With 4,440 recovering their health from the COVID-19, the overall …

PARIS: Over 1.5 billion doses of anti-COVID vaccine have been injected into people’s arms around the world, within just six months since the vaccination drive started, showed an AFP count. By Tuesday at 1530 GMT at least 1,500,017,337 doses had been injected in 210 countries or territories, according to the tally based on official sources. Nearly three-fifths of the total …

The COVID-19 variant first identified in India may be spreading less quickly than first feared, a leading British epidemiologist said on Wednesday, but vaccines might be less effective at limiting its spread. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday warned that the emergence of the B.1.617.2 variant might derail his plans to lift England’s lockdown fully on June 21 but said …

TOKYO: A top medical organisation has thrown its weight behind calls to cancel the Tokyo Olympics saying hospitals are already overwhelmed as the country battles a spike in coronavirus infections less than three months from the start of the Games. The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association representing about 6,000 primary care doctors said hospitals in the Games host city “have their …