ISLAMABAD: Though Covid-19 cases in Islamabad have again seen a surge, district health authority is confident that situation will remain under control as 100pc vaccination target has been achieved while 17pc of the population has got booster doses.

However, residents have been advised to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) during pre and post-Eid events.

According to data, the positivity rate in the capital rose to 3.03pc on Wednesday as compared to only 0.76pc on a day earlier as55 cases were reported on Wednesday as compared to only 14 on Tuesday.

The data showed that 1,816 people tested for the Covid-19 on Tuesday, the number is over four times lower than the number compared to February this year when over 8,000 tests would be carried out on daily basis.

District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia while talking to Dawn said although 55 positive cases were reported on Wednesday, there was hardly any pressure on the hospitals as city had already achieved 100pc vaccination target.

“Moreover around 18pc of vaccine eligible population has been inoculated with booster dose. Vaccinated people can be infected with the virus but there are fewer chances of developing complications,” he said.

While replying to a question, Dr Zia said people who had to get booster shots should get the dose at the earliest.

“Moreover, children who could not be vaccinated last year or this year, as they were less than 12 years of age and now have become eligible for the vaccination, should be vaccinated at the earliest as Covid-19 can prove lethal for unvaccinated people,” he said.

He said that people should wear masks at crowded places and strictly adhere to other SOPs as only that is how city administration will be able to avoid restrictions and there will be fewer burden on the health facilities.

APP adds: In Rawalpindi, 20 people were diagnosed with fatal coronavirus during the last 24 hours, raising the district’s tally of confirmed cases to 46,823.

As per the latest data released by the District Health Authority here Wednesday, the total infected cases included 43,306 from Rawalpindi and 3,517 from other districts.

Among the news cases, five each arrived from Potohar and Rawal towns, three from the Rawalpindi Cantonment, two from Taxila and one each from Gujjar Khan, Kalar Syedan, Okara, Mianwali and Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2022