ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday launched vaccination against the deadly coronavirus, initially for health workers, and urged the people to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to stop its spread.

After witnessing the administration of Covid-19 vaccine to health workers here, the prime minister said in the first phase, health workers, who were on the front-line in the fight against coronavirus, as well as those vulnerable due to age, would be vaccinated.

He appreciated China for providing 0.5 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Pakistan. which, he assured, would be judiciously distributed across all the provinces.

The prime minister urged the health workers to essentially get them vaccinated as per the international practice.

Imran Khan said though the coronavirus in Pakistan was subsiding with the grace of Allah Almighty, the people, however, should continue to take precautionary measures and follow the SOPs, including the use of face masks.

He said contrary to various countries, including the Unites States and United Kingdom, where around 400,000 and 100,000 people, respectively, lost their lives to the Covid-19 and their economies badly affected due to lock-downs, the economy in Pakistan, except the services sector, was open and moving ahead.

“We have already opened schools and will be opening the hostels as well. Coronavirus cases are on the decline. But we have to continue to follow the SOPs,” he maintained. NNI