Jahangir Khan

NCOC decides implementing work from home policy, early closure of trade centres

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has taken major decisions to curb the spread of novel coronavirus through the continuation of smart lockdown policy in hotspot areas, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The NCOC head Asad Umar chaired a session where the federal and provincial officials briefed the participants regarding the current situation of pandemic and government steps.

After witnessing a sharp rise in the positivity rate of COVID-19 cases, the NCOC took important decisions including the strict implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) against the virus.

Read: DHO urges maintaining 50 pc attendance in schools, classes on weekly holiday

It has been decided to implement the 50 per cent staff to work from home policy after consulting the provinces. However, the operation centre decided to immediately implement the work from home policy for 50 per cent of staff in Islamabad.

Moreover, the participants decided to implement the policy for the early closure of trade centres till 10:00 pm and park till 6:00 pm. The decision for allowing in-door meals and wedding ceremony was withdrawn by the NCOC, however, out-door and take-away services will remain available for the nationals.

Cinemas and shrines will not be opened for visitors from March 15 following the latest decision.

Read: Pakistan records 1,786 cases, 43 COVID-19 deaths

According to the NCOC, a ban has been imposed on the gathering of more than 300 people in an outdoor event. The centre will review the restrictions on April 12.

The provinces will be allowed to independently implement SOPs in the cities and districts, NCOC decided.

For Punjab, the NCOC announced the closure of schools in seven Punjab cities from coming Monday (March 15) until March 28.

The announcement was made by Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood while addressing a press conference flanked by SAPM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan following a crucial meeting of the NCOC summoned to review the coronavirus situation.

Read: Next phase of COVID-19 vaccination starts today

“Schools in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Gujrat will remain close until March 28.” Shafqat Mahmood said that the ban will not be applicable to schools that are already conducting the examinations.

Apart from the closure of schools in seven Punjab districts, the educational activities will continue in other parts of the province with 50 per cent attendance of the students, the minister said.

The minister declaring the situation in Sindh and Balochistan almost satisfactory said that educational institutions will continue their activities with 50 per cent of the attendance.

Speaking on the occasion, SAPM Faisal Sultan said that coronavirus cases are increasing in the country and urged administrative departments to enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding coronavirus.

The SAPM further said that all recreational parks will close at 6pm while indoor dining will not be allowed in restaurants and eateries can only provide outdoor sitting and takeaway service.

March 10, 2021
DHO urges maintaining 50 pc attendance in schools, classes on weekly holiday

ISLAMABAD: The District Health Officer (DHO) Islamabad has urged the higher authorities for taking emergency steps for curbing coronavirus cases primarily being reported from educational institutions and offices, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The DHO Islamabad has written a letter to the deputy commissioner and raised alarm over the consistent rise in coronavirus cases in the federal capital. He stated that the infections were significantly increased after reopening educational institutions in February.

He highlighted that the positivity rate of COVID-19 cases in Islamabad has risen to over six per cent and most of the infections were reported from educational institutions and offices. It a serious issue to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) among children in schools, whereas it is impossible to follow the guidelines alongside full attendance.

Read: Punjab announces new academic calendar for educational institutions

The health officer said that emergency steps are inevitable for curbing the spread of novel coronavirus and recommended to maintain 50 per cent attendance in schools and social distancing in the current scenario.

Dr Zaeem Zia has recommended conducting four-hour classes in two shifts for the students of federal government schools. He also suggested classes on weekly holiday.

Earlier in February, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood had announced that all schools will be allowed to conduct regular five-day classes from March 1.

Read: Punjab govt rejects private schools’ plea to hike tuition fees

The announcement had been followed on the heels of the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) decision to relax a number of restrictions on commercial activities and official work in view of the declining trend of Covid-19 cases in the country.

However, the Sindh government had rejected to allow 100 per cent student attendance in schools across the province until the elimination of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani had announced that educational institutions in Sindh will maintain 50 pc attendance.

March 10, 2021
Ten coronavirus cases detected in two colleges of Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The health officers on Friday recommended to seal two educational institutions in Islamabad immediately after the detection of ten new cases of coronavirus among students and teachers, ARY News reported.

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According to a report forwarded to the deputy commissioner Islamabad by the district health officer (DHO), three coronavirus cases have been reported in Model College for Boys in Sector 10/1 while seven others were diagnosed in Model College For Boys, located in F-7/3.

The DHO has directed the Islamabad administration to seal both colleges until further orders.

Earlier, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood had announced that all schools would conduct regular five-day classes from March 1.

Read more: Sindh not to allow 100pc student attendance in schools

“Important announcement. All schools would go back to regular 5 day classes from Monday, March 1,” he had tweeted. “Restrictions imposed in some major cities on schools to conduct staggered classes was only till Feb 28.”

March 5, 2021
Gilani wants PM Imran to vote for him in Senate polls

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate from Islamabad seat in Senate elections, Yousuf Raza Gilani has sought Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s vote, ARY NEWS reported.

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In a letter penned to all MNAs including PM Imran Khan, Yousuf Raza Gilani has stated being a speaker and prime minister, he provided a level playing field to both treasury and opposition members.

The decision to take part in the Senate polls was taken after a long discussion. Today we need to show unity and appealed PM Imran Khan to vote for him on March 3, during Senate polls.

It is pertinent to mention here that a tough contest is expected on the Senate’s Islamabad seat between Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh and former prime minister and PDM’s candidate, Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Read more: Senate elections to be held through secret ballot: SC gives opinion on presidential reference

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that the campaign for upcoming Senate elections in the country will come to end by midnight tonight.

The ECP has asked all the political parties and the contesting candidates to follow the provisions of law and exercise self-restraint so that the poll is held in an orderly and peaceful manner on Wednesday.

March 1, 2021
Pakistan closely monitoring cases of new COVID-19 variant: health ministry

ISLAMABAD: The health ministry has confirmed the presence of a new coronavirus variant in Pakistan and said that the authorities were closely monitoring the cases by using a modern surveillance system, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The health ministry has confirmed the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant in Pakistan which was detected in the United Kingdom (UK) for the first time. In a declaration, the ministry said that the new SARS-CoV-2 variant is less deadly, however, it is fast-spreading.

It stated that the health authorities were using a modern surveillance system to hold close monitoring of the developments of the new variant of the coronavirus.

The nationals have been asked to strictly follow the guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) against COVID-19. The health authorities also instructed citizens to ensure being vaccinated in accordance with the prescribed time.

Read: NCOC eases Covid-19 restrictions, allows indoor weddings

Earlier in January, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had confirmed the two cases of the highly contagious coronavirus variant that first emerged in the UK have been detected in Pakistan.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) had examined a number of samples taken from the UK return travellers suspected to be carrying the new Covid-19 variant, out of which two matched with the variant, named B117.

The variant was first detected in Britain in December last year, the NCOC said, adding it has also been found in 31 other countries. It said Pakistani citizens returning from the UK need to take a mandatory PCR test for the new strain of the deadly virus.

February 27, 2021
Pakistan arranges storage containers for COVID-19 vaccines

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has arranged modern storage containers for COVID-19 vaccines which are likely to start arriving in the country in phases from mid-March, citing sources, ARY News reported on Saturday.

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) provided free-of-cost Covid vaccine storage containers to Pakistan following a grant from Asian Development Bank (ADB), sources told ARY News.

The modern storage containers will arrive in Pakistan in mid-March which will be used for storing the Pfizer vaccines which need ultra-low temperatures up to -70 degrees. The cold chain system in Pakistan has a capacity of -20 degrees to store temperature-sensitive commodities.

Read: Pakistan decides to buy ultra-cold refrigerators to store Pfizer vaccine

The modern storage containers will be given to the Centre and provinces in most affected areas. It emerged that the containers will initially be given to the 15 most-affected cities of the country, sources said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pfizer Covid vaccines are likely to arrive in Pakistan during the next three months in Pakistan.

Earlier on February 13, Pakistan had decided to buy 21 ultra-cold modern refrigerators with an aim to store Pfizer vaccine as the country will start receiving doses of Pfizer vaccines from the Covax platform.

Read: Pakistan to get 17.2mn doses as Covax issues distribution list

COVID vaccine made by Pfizer may be stored in an ultra-cold freezer between -80°C and -60°C (-112°F and -76°F).

COVAX ensures equitable worldwide access to Covid-19 vaccines with enough doses for countries to immunise more than three per cent of their populations by mid-2021.

The distribution plan comes with lower-income countries falling behind in the vaccination race — a problem Covax was set up to address.

February 20, 2021
Pakistan to get Covid vaccines from COVAX next month: sources

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will start getting the batches of coronavirus vaccines from COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) from next month, citing sources, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Sources closer to National Institute of Health (NIH) told ARY News that the first batch of free-of-cost coronavirus vaccines will arrive in Pakistan by the end of March.

The WHO’s institution will provide free-of-cost COVID-19 vaccines for the 20 per cent population of Pakistan and the country will get overall 45.5 million doses from the Covax is co-led by the World Health Organization, the Gavi vaccine alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

The supply of vaccines will be completed in phases as Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in Pakistan during the initial phase, whereas, Pfizer vaccines will be sent by COVAX in the second phase.

Pakistan is likely to get 17.1 million doses of vaccines till June including 7 millions vials of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The second batch will arrive in Pakistan in June which will include 10.1 million doses.

Read: Pakistan to receive first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine before April

Countries will receive doses in proportion to population size, with the most going to India (97.2 million), Pakistan (17.2 million), Nigeria (16 million), Indonesia (13.7 million), Bangladesh (12.8 million) and Brazil (10.6 million).

Other big recipients are Ethiopia (8.9 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo (6.9 million), Mexico (6.5 million), the Philippines (5.6 million) and Egypt (5.1 million).

For the 92 lower- and lower-middle income economies involved in Covax, funding is covered through donations, while for richer countries, buying into bulk purchases operates like a back-up insurance policy for their own vaccination programmes.

Pfizer-BioNTech is the only vaccine to have received emergency use approval from the WHO. Evaluation is under way for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine.

February 18, 2021
Pakistan decides to buy ultra-cold refrigerators to store Pfizer vaccine

ISLAMABAD: With an aim to store Pfizer vaccine, Pakistan has decided to buy 21 ultra-cold modern refrigerators, ARY News reported on Saturday, citing sources.

COVID vaccine made by Pfizer may be stored in an ultra-cold freezer between -80°C and -60°C (-112°F and -76°F).

The decision to buy modern refrigerators was taken in the wake to ensure proper storage of the Pfizer COVID vaccine, sources said. Currently Pakistan cold change system has capacity to storage COVID vaccine at -20°C.

The newly bough ultra-cold freezers would placed in the federal capital and provinces for preservation of the vaccine.

Pakistan to receive doses of Pfizer vaccines from the Covax platform. The programme ensures equitable worldwide access to Covid-19 vaccines with enough doses for countries to immunise more than three percent of their populations by mid-2021.

Read more: Pakistan to get 17.2mn doses as Covax issues distribution list for first vaccine wave

The distribution plan comes with lower-income countries falling behind in the vaccination race — a problem Covax was set up to address.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar had said last week that Pakistan will likely get 17 million AstraZeneca doses of COVID-19 vaccination within the first half of current year.

February 13, 2021
Govt notifies 25pc increase in salaries of protesting employees
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday approved 25 percent increase in salaries of protesting employees from grades 1-19 on an ad-hoc basis, ARY News reported.

A notification has been issued by the ministry of finance in this regard.

In accordance with the agreement reached between the special committee constituted by the Prime Minister Imran Khan comprising Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak, Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan and representatives of the Federal Government Employees, the Finance Division has agreed to the following, in principle:
- Disparity Reduction Allowance 25% of the basic pay shall be allowed to those civil employees in BPS (1-19) of the federal government who have never been allowed additional salary equal to or more than 100% of the basic pay (whether frozen or not) or performance allowance w.e.f. 01 March, 2021.
- The posts BPS (1-16) or equivalent will be upgraded on the pattern of Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa w.e.f. 01 March 2021.
- The grant of time-scale will also be considered for adoption on the same pattern in the next budget.
- Adhoc Relief will also be considered to be made part of the basic salary w.e.f. July, 2021.
- Provinces will be recommended for adoption of above from their own resources.
In an earlier development, the government assured increase in salaries up to 20pc to the employees.

Interior Minister Shaikh Rasheed in a media talk today said that the federal government will also issue directives to the provinces about settlement of the matter with employees.

“The prime minister has talked with the chief ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab today, hopefully, the issue will also be resolved at the provincial level,” Pervez Khattak, another member of the government committee, said.

Read More: ‘All issues amicably settled with employees’, say Govt ministers

“An up-gradation for all employees has been decided in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab,” Khattak further said. “It will start in June after the budget,” he said.

“The adhoc release will merge in their pay scales in June budget,” Khattak said.
February 11, 2021
NIMS spotted irregularities in Covid vaccination drive: NCOC head

ISLAMABAD: The head of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar has said that National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) spotted irregularities in ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

A session of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) held under the chair of Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar today to review the pandemic situation and ongoing vaccination drive against novel coronavirus.

According to NCOC, the vaccination of frontline healthcare workers is underway across the country. The officials observed that the procedures for Covid vaccination drive devised by the health authorities are not being fully implemented. The prescribed procedures had been shared with the stakeholders prior to the launching of the vaccination campaign, however, violations were spotted by the authorities.

The officials said that provinces have been instructed once again to fully implement the vaccination guidelines.

Read: Federal govt prepares national immunisation management system

Asad Umar said that the irregularities were spotted by the National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) that was established to ensure transparency. He said that NCOC will ensure complete compliance of the vaccination guidelines and no tolerance will be made against those trying to by-pass NIMS and Resource Management System.

“Provinces have completed the registration of frontline healthcare workers in order to maintain transparency and only registered healthcare officials will be administered vaccines.”

The statistics provided by the NCOC showed that 27,228 healthcare workers mostly in Sindh have been administered COVID-19 vaccines across the country.

Vaccination of 21,121 healthcare workers was completed; 4,458 in Punjab, 691 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 274 in Islamabad, 239 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), 312 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 133 in Balochistan, NCOC said.

Read: Countrywide anti-Covid vaccination drive starts

Earlier on February 7, Asad Umar had said that the Centre could take over the COVID-19 vaccination handling from the provinces if they are unable to manage it.

His remarks came in the backdrop of a complaint that daughter and son-in-law of Zubair Umar were administered COVID-19 vaccine in Karachi.

The NCOC head said that the healthcare workers are in dire need of the COVID-19 vaccine and any use of it other than this was meant to betray the trust of the nation.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh government had suspended BPS-18 Deputy District Officer Health Dr Annela Quershi on Sunday over violation of SOPs during the administration of Covid-19 vaccine at the Dow Ojha Campus vaccination centre.

February 10, 2021