The Pakistani government has decided to scrap all Covid-19 restrictions amid a continuous decline in the number of new cases, with experts and officials calling for continued surveillance and vaccination process. 
 
Asad Umar, chairman of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which oversees the country's response to the pandemic, said on Wednesday that Pakistan is removing restrictions as it has come close to eliminating the pandemic in the country, reports Xinhua news agency. 
 
"We have decided that all the restrictions we have imposed related to the coronavirus. We are ending all of them ... We need a transition process towards a normal, ordinary life," he said during a press conference in Islamabad.

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However, Umar said that all restrictions on citizens not vaccinated against the virus would remain in place until 80-85 per cent of the eligible population was fully jabbed, adding that the government would keep monitoring the disease prevalence on a daily basis to decide for any change in policy in future. 
 
Pakistan witnessed a major decline in the daily Covid-19 case count. 
 
The country reported 493 new infections over the past 24 hours, with the positivity rate falling to 1.42 per cent, the NCOC said. 
 
Since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the country has registered 1,520,634 confirmed cases and 30,319 deaths. 
 
Pakistani experts and officials believe that though the restrictions are being lifted in the country, the threat of the pandemic is not over yet, urging the public to continue taking precautions and vaccines to fully defeat the deadly disease.

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Speaking to Xinhua, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan said that Pakistan has successfully overcome the challenge of Covid-19 due to prudent policies and measures taken by the government. 
 
Provincial governments, healthcare professionals, media, and scholars played a vital role in controlling the pandemic, he said, adding that vigorous vaccination process helped the country in curbing the virus spread.

At the moment, more than 70 per cent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated, and over 80 per cent have received at least one dose of a Covid jab, "which is quite encouraging" for the country of over 220 million population, Sultan said.

Watch |&nbsp;Pakistan PM Imran Khan to face a no-confidence vote

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The Pakistani government has decided to scrap all Covid-19 restrictions amid a continuous decline in the number of new cases, with experts and officials calling for continued surveillance and vaccination process.

The Pakistani government has decided to scrap all Covid-19 restrictions amid a continuous decline in the number of new cases, with experts and officials calling for continued surveillance and vaccination process. Asad Umar, chairman of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which oversees the country's response to the pandemic, said on Wednesday that Pakistan is removing restrictions as it has come close to eliminating the pandemic in the country, reports Xinhua news agency. "We have decided that all the restrictions we have imposed related to the coronavirus. We are ending all of them ... We need a transition process towards a normal, ordinary life," he said during a press conference in Islamabad. Also read | Will Pakistan PM Imran Khan face the axe? His key ally says '100%' However, Umar said that all restrictions on citizens not vaccinated against the virus would remain in place until 80-85 per cent of the eligible population was fully jabbed, adding that the government would keep monitoring the disease prevalence on a daily basis to decide for any change in policy in future. Pakistan witnessed a major decline in the daily Covid-19 case count. The country reported 493 new infections over the past 24 hours, with the positivity rate falling to 1.42 per cent, the NCOC said. Since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the country has registered 1,520,634 confirmed cases and 30,319 deaths. Pakistani experts and officials believe that though the restrictions are being lifted in the country, the threat of the pandemic is not over yet, urging the public to continue taking precautions and vaccines to fully defeat the deadly disease. Also read | WHO says global rise in COVID-19 cases is 'tip of the iceberg' Speaking to Xinhua, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan said that Pakistan has successfully overcome the challenge of Covid-19 due to prudent policies and measures taken by the government. Provincial governments, healthcare professionals, media, and scholars played a vital role in controlling the pandemic, he said, adding that vigorous vaccination process helped the country in curbing the virus spread. At the moment, more than 70 per cent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated, and over 80 per cent have received at least one dose of a Covid jab, "which is quite encouraging" for the country of over 220 million population, Sultan said. Watch | Pakistan PM Imran Khan to face a no-confidence vote

COVID-19: Pakistan decides to end all restrictions

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi said on Monday he had tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving his first dose of an unnamed vaccine, just over a week after a similar announcement from the prime minister.

Soon after on Monday, the country's defence minister Pervez Khattak also said he had tested positive. "We all need to take this third wave very seriously. May Allah protect us all," Khattak added in his message.

Coronavirus cases are rising quickly in the South Asian nation. It has recorded 659,116 infections and more than 14,250 related deaths, with 4,525 infections and 41 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

The government is in the process of introducing stricter restrictions including bans on wedding ceremonies and large gatherings.

It launched its vaccine drive earlier this month, inoculating health workers and high-risk age groups. But it is facing setbacks from vaccine hesitancy and delays in vaccines arriving in the country.

Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive two days after receiving his first dose earlier this month. Officials said he had likely been infected before getting his shot.

Photos released by the government on March 15 showed the president receiving a vaccine, but did not name the brand.

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi said on Monday he had tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving his first dose of an unnamed vaccine, just over a week after a similar announcement from the prime minister.

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi said on Monday he had tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving his first dose of an unnamed vaccine, just over a week after a similar announcement from the prime minister. Soon after on Monday, the country's defence minister Pervez Khattak also said he had tested positive. "We all need to take this third wave very seriously. May Allah protect us all," Khattak added in his message. Coronavirus cases are rising quickly in the South Asian nation. It has recorded 659,116 infections and more than 14,250 related deaths, with 4,525 infections and 41 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The government is in the process of introducing stricter restrictions including bans on wedding ceremonies and large gatherings. It launched its vaccine drive earlier this month, inoculating health workers and high-risk age groups. But it is facing setbacks from vaccine hesitancy and delays in vaccines arriving in the country. Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive two days after receiving his first dose earlier this month. Officials said he had likely been infected before getting his shot. Photos released by the government on March 15 showed the president receiving a vaccine, but did not name the brand.

Pakistan's president, defence minister test positive for COVID-19

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday ruled out closing down businesses and urged the public to follow health guidelines as the country grappled with the second wave of the coronavirus with the national tally of infections reaching 382,892.

Khan told media in Lahore that he was concerned about the situation after the daily COVID-19 death toll crossed 50 while being as low as below the single-digit just two weeks ago.

He said that despite the rising cases, his government would not shut down factories and businesses.

"We cannot render the daily wage worker unemployed," he said, adding that people should follow the guidelines.

"I strongly urge all factory, shop, and shopping mall owners to strictly enforce safety protocols. And the easiest thing to do is just to wear a mask," he said.

He said that Pakistan was successful in defeating the virus during the first wave and asked people to show the same willingness to follow safety measures.

In reply to a question, he said that the opposition should stop holding public rallies as his government would not allow any such activity because it would spread the infection.

"We must never allow any such activities which cause people to gather. We know that when people have close contact, the virus spreads at a very fast rate," he said.

Khan's remarks came as Pakistan detected more than 3,009 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 382,892, while 59 people died in a single day, taking the COVID-19 death toll to 7,803, according to the data issued by the Ministry of National Health Services.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar who is heading the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), a dedicated official entity to combat the virus, issued a warning on late Tuesday that the situation would further deteriorate in the coming two weeks.

"We experienced a peak in COVID-19 cases in June and if we do not follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), we may face the worst situation in the next two weeks," he said.

He said that lately, 1,750 people were on oxygen or ventilators, while in June, 3,400 were on ventilators.

The ministry reported that at least 332,974 people recovered from the disease but some 1,867 were in critical condition. The number of active patients was 42,115.

The authorities performed at least 41,583 tests on the last day, showing a positivity rate of 7.2 per cent.

Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaisar called a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on COVID-19 on Wednesday in the Parliament House.

He invited all parliamentary parties but the 11-party alliance, Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM), refused to attend it.

"It is illegal for the speaker to call the meeting as he is not authorized to convene it," PDM Secretary-General and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Services said that Pakistan completed the second round of COVID-19 study that showed around 7 per cent or 15 million people are exposed to the virus.

"In the second round, about 7per cent of individuals were detected to be exposed to COVID-19 around the time the survey was conducted which was before the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases," according to the survey.

Pakistan is among the few countries that have conducted and completed the Seroprevalence study in big and small cities, which also showed that a lot of people remained asymptomatic, recommending wearing masks.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday ruled out closing down businesses and urged the public to follow health guidelines as the country grappled with the second wave of the coronavirus with the national tally of infections reaching 382,892.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday ruled out closing down businesses and urged the public to follow health guidelines as the country grappled with the second wave of the coronavirus with the national tally of infections reaching 382,892. Khan told media in Lahore that he was concerned about the situation after the daily COVID-19 death toll crossed 50 while being as low as below the single-digit just two weeks ago. He said that despite the rising cases, his government would not shut down factories and businesses. "We cannot render the daily wage worker unemployed," he said, adding that people should follow the guidelines. "I strongly urge all factory, shop, and shopping mall owners to strictly enforce safety protocols. And the easiest thing to do is just to wear a mask," he said. He said that Pakistan was successful in defeating the virus during the first wave and asked people to show the same willingness to follow safety measures. In reply to a question, he said that the opposition should stop holding public rallies as his government would not allow any such activity because it would spread the infection. "We must never allow any such activities which cause people to gather. We know that when people have close contact, the virus spreads at a very fast rate," he said. Khan's remarks came as Pakistan detected more than 3,009 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 382,892, while 59 people died in a single day, taking the COVID-19 death toll to 7,803, according to the data issued by the Ministry of National Health Services. Minister for Planning Asad Umar who is heading the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), a dedicated official entity to combat the virus, issued a warning on late Tuesday that the situation would further deteriorate in the coming two weeks. "We experienced a peak in COVID-19 cases in June and if we do not follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), we may face the worst situation in the next two weeks," he said. He said that lately, 1,750 people were on oxygen or ventilators, while in June, 3,400 were on ventilators. The ministry reported that at least 332,974 people recovered from the disease but some 1,867 were in critical condition. The number of active patients was 42,115. The authorities performed at least 41,583 tests on the last day, showing a positivity rate of 7.2 per cent. Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaisar called a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on COVID-19 on Wednesday in the Parliament House. He invited all parliamentary parties but the 11-party alliance, Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM), refused to attend it. "It is illegal for the speaker to call the meeting as he is not authorized to convene it," PDM Secretary-General and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Services said that Pakistan completed the second round of COVID-19 study that showed around 7 per cent or 15 million people are exposed to the virus. "In the second round, about 7per cent of individuals were detected to be exposed to COVID-19 around the time the survey was conducted which was before the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases," according to the survey. Pakistan is among the few countries that have conducted and completed the Seroprevalence study in big and small cities, which also showed that a lot of people remained asymptomatic, recommending wearing masks.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan rules out closing down businesses amid a surge in COVID-19 cases