ISLAMABAD: The Nat­ional Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday appreciated administrations of three urban districts — Kalat, Karachi South and Islamabad — for achieving targets of vaccinating maximum population.

Moreover, three districts of remote areas — Orakzai, Neelam and Tharparkar — have also achieved maximum vaccination targets despite difficult terrain and limited resources.

Meanwhile, the national positivity rate of Covid-19 has further risen to 3.66 per cent as 1,649 infections and three deaths were reported over the past 24 hours.

Karachi again reported highest positivity of 15.52pc, Lahore 7.53pc, Gilgit 6.67pc, Peshawar 3.51pc, Mirpur 3.23pc, Hyderabad 3.18pc and Islamabad 2.99pc.

The NCOC organised an appreciation certificates and shields distribution ceremony in the honour of the provincial and district teams for achieving set vaccination targets and making efforts in tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

Appreciation certificates given to districts that have achieved target of vaccinating over 60pc of population

The ceremony, held at the NCOC head office, was attended by federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, NCOC National Coordinator Maj Gen Mohammad Zafar Iqbal and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan.

The shields and appreciation letters were given to those districts and provinces that have achieved the target of vaccinating more than 60pc of the population and to the three remote districts that have achieved maximum vaccination targets despite limited re­­sources and difficult terrain.

Addressing the ceremony held to recognise the services of the workers who have actively participated in vaccination campaign, Mr Umar again advised the people to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) for saving themselves from Covid-19 which was currently spreading fast in the country.

“People who have not been vaccinated so far must do it as soon as possible. Persons who were fully vaccinated six months ago and are over 30 years of age should go for booster doze,” he said.

The minister lauded the efforts of ground workers, vaccination teams, health workers and federal and provincial agencies for coordinated efforts that helped make the campaign successful.

He said that the campaign against coronavirus would be remembered because the whole nation had made collective efforts to stop its spread.

Earlier, the participants of the ceremony were told that 48pc of the eligible population of the country had been fully vaccinated. Till Dec 31, 2021, vaccination of 71.5 million individuals was completed. Only in December, 21.5m people were vaccinated and the credit goes to the provinces.

The district teams which received appreciation certificates and shields include Jhelum, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Attock, Bhakkar, Sargodha, Lodhran, Karachi East, Chitral Lower and Upper, Mastung, Chaman, Lasbela, Harnai, Awaran, Surab, Naseerabad, Hunza, Ghizer and Mirpur.

The top three districts which have achieved the target of vaccinating maximum population are: Kalat (87pc), Karachi South (82pc) and Islamabad (77pc). The three districts of remote areas which have achieved the vaccination targets are: Orakzai (54pc), Neelam (56pc) and Tharparkar (51pc).

The NCOC data showed that the number of active cases, which was less than 10,000 in December 2021, stood at 17,748 as of Jan 10, out of which 773 patients were admitted to hospitals across the country.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2022