pakistan mask
© REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro(FILE PHOTO)
The Pakistani government has said it will mandate vaccinations across a number of settings from August, including government offices, schools, restaurants, and shopping malls, despite less than 5% of citizens being inoculated.


Comment: If Pakistan's vaccine coercion has been anywhere near as extensive as India's, it's likely that the low figure, in large part, represents people's refusal of the jab, not a lack of availability: 200 villagers in India flee homes to avoid Covid vaccination - some jump into nearby river


On Thursday, Asad Umar, chief of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), a military-run body in charge of the country's pandemic response, told a news conference that people in Pakistan will need to get vaccinated or be prepared for some tough restrictions on their daily lives.

Speaking alongside Health Minister Faisal Sultan, Umar announced that from August 1, all unvaccinated citizens will no longer be able to enter government offices, schools, restaurants, and shopping malls. Proof of vaccination will also be required for air travel, following a similar move outlined by the Saudi government.


Comment: Emulating the Saudi's should always give one pause for thought.


It was also stated that by August 31, public transport and retail staff, as well as teachers and students above the age of 18, should be inoculated.

"We can't put our children's lives at risk just because that you're not ready to get the vaccine," Umar said.


Comment: Children lives are not at risk from the coronavirus, even children who are suffering from multiple comorbidities, but, like everyone else, their lives are gravely threatened by lockdowns though.


According to NCOC, only 5.9 million citizens have been fully jabbed in the nation of 220 million people; 27.8 million have now received at least one vaccine shot.

Umar said that the target is to administer one million doses a day. However, such a feat could still mean inoculating the whole population will take months. On Wednesday, following a slow start to the campaign, health authorities administered 850,000 shots across the country.


Comment: 'A slow start' was typical of the vaccine roll out across much of the planet, and it reflects the fact that the majority of people were very reluctant to volunteer to be guinea pigs.

Note that this target means that, even if people gave in and agreed to the jab, they'd still be under lockdown because there's not enough available. As a sign of how suspiciously coordinated these insidious moves are nowadays, the demands are the same in Australia: Sydney's lockdown to last MONTHS, apartment block under police guard after just six residents 'test positive'


Official records suggest that just over 23,000 people have died from the virus in Pakistan, substantially less than most well-populated Western nations.

Authorities registered 4,497 new cases on Wednesday, with infections increasing partially due to the presence of the more contagious Delta variant. However, the positivity rate suggests the virus is much more prevalent, with the percentage of tests coming back positive standing at 7.53%, according to the NCOC.