Provinces gear up for mass vaccination drive.

ISLAMABAD -- Provincial authorities on Saturday told the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) that all the federating units had geared up Adult Vaccination Centres (AVCs) and arrangements to conduct mass vaccination of coronavirus vaccine.

The NCOC's morning session took detailed stock of epidemic curve chart and national vaccine strategy where provincial representatives of all federating units including that of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) participated the meeting through video link.

The forum was briefed that new AVCs were being set up to enhance existing inoculation capacity amid vaccination of all healthcare workers. The provincial representatives briefed the forum that training of adequate staff was being carried out in varying working durations to ensure maximum and swift build up of trained workforce.

The forum was told that the AVCs would be made fully air conditioned to ensure a comfortable environment for the general public to be administered the vaccine. The forum was told that along with capacity and resource enhancement per day vaccination of individuals would also be ramped up to yield maximum dividends of the national vaccination programme.

1,315 new infections, 33 deaths

The national tally on Saturday of total active COVID-19 cases recorded 21,554 with 1,315 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 2,013 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.

Thirty three corona patients have died during past 24 hours, 32 of them were under treatment in hospital and one in their respective quarantines and homes on Friday.

According to the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC), during the last 24 hours most of the deaths had occurred in the Punjab followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Out of the total 33 deaths, 16 people died, were under treatment, on ventilators.

The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Multan 18 percent, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 30 percent, Peshawar 21 percent and Lahore 35 percent.

The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical...