RAWALPINDI: As Covid-19 cases surge, the local authorities will be launching community-based vaccination campaign in Rawalpindi district from tomorrow (Monday) to achieve 100pc coverage.

Islamabad, on the other hand, witnessed a jump in positivity rate as 121 more people contracted the virus.

According to data, 8 per cent ratio was recorded in the capital on Saturday.

One patient each, however, died from the virus in the twin cities.

According to health officials, over one million population of Rawalpindi district, including 985,335 adults and senior citizens and 34,035 frontline health workers, had been vaccinated against the virus.

District surveillance officer and spokesperson for Rawalpindi District Health Authority Dr Waqar Ahmed told Dawn that community-based campaign was aimed at making the vaccine available near every citizen’s home.

Positivity rate in Islamabad stands at 8pc

He said a micro vaccination plan has been prepared under the supervision of District Health Officer Dr Ehsan Ghani.

According to official statistics, 38pc of the population of over 18 years of age had already been vaccinated against the virus in the district.

Dr Waqar Ahmed said that under the Covid-19 community vaccination campaign, centres would be set up at each union council level of the district in proportion to the population.

Besides, announcements would be made from mosques and links would be established with all sections of the community to encourage citizens to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

He said community level vaccination campaign was being launched in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala districts.

He said corona vaccine was available in abundance in Rawalpindi district.

District surveillance officer said as positivity rate in Rawalpindi district had increased to 6.7pc in July, the Punjab government had decided to speed up the campaign.

He said that all possible steps would be taken to make the community vaccination campaign a success.

In Rawalpindi district, there are 749 active patients.

As many as 126 patients are in the hospitals, including 20 patients from other districts and 623 patients home isolated.

On Saturday, most of the Covid-19 patients came from city areas of Rawalpindi as 17 patients arrived from Cantonment areas, 23 from Potohar Town and 14 from Rawal Town.

The health officials said two patients came from Kotli Sattian and one from Taxila, four from Islamabad, three from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and one patient each from Layyah, Attock and Chakwal.

Kanwar Anwar Hakim, 66, resident of Mohallah Rahmania Ghazi Road, was brought to Shifa International Hospital on July 23 where he died late on Friday night.

Islamabad

Officials of the capital administration said that the Covid positivity rate stood at 8 per cent on Saturday, up from 4.3 per a day before.

They said that 121 cases of the virus were reported in the capital compared to 51 recorded the other day. They said that 1,500 tests were conducted which found the virus in 121 people.

The death of a male patient, a resident of G-12, was reported in the age group of 70-79, they said.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2021