Pakistan announces restrictions for unvaccinated

Pakistan has set August 31 as the deadline for all public sector workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government has also announced a host of other restrictions against the unvaccinated.

From August 1, unvaccinated people will no longer be allowed to enter government offices, schools, restaurants and shopping malls.

The announcement was made by Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar, who heads the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), a military-run body that oversees the pandemic response, at a joint news conference with the health minister in Islamabad.

Teachers and students above 18, public transport and retail staff will also be required to get vaccinated by the end of August, they said.

The NCOC had earlier announced that unvaccinated people would be barred from travelling on domestic flights from August 1.

Pakistan has seen coronavirus infections soar, dominated by Delta variant, and its health infrastructure is under extreme pressure.

The national positive test rate for COVID stands at 7.53%, according to the NCOC.

[With inputs from Reuters]