Chairman NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik presided the special session of National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) today. National Institute of Health (NIH) team was called on for updated monitoring of regional trends of new variant of coronavirus and trajectories development for Pakistan without creating undue alarm.

Chairman NDMA focused on evolving COVID variants and expressed confidence in Pakistan’s current strategies & National Preparedness. However, the situation will be continuously monitored by National Command & Operation Center (NCOC) and preparedness, preventative protocols and vaccination administration system will be strengthened to tackle spike in concern.

NCOC showed detailed statistics on COVID management, vaccination administration data and low risk of new variant in Pakistan. It was informed that current COVID positivity rate stood at 0.53 percent and 95 percent eligible population has been inoculated with first & 90 percent with second dose of COVID vaccines. 

Chairman NDMA directed the NCOC ex National Institute of Health (NIH) to issue precautionary COVID variant risk advisory for public and relevant stakeholders based on scientific analysis of data at global & regional level and carry out selective mock drills for COVID emergency. He also directed NIH to review the stocks of COVID vaccines and arrangements in hospitals to deal with COVID cases.   

Chairman NDMA apprised the participants of Prime Minister’s vision on establishment of National Preparedness and Response System in the country. He also explained the expansion plan for NEOC and making it live interfaced with all departments to remodel country’s emergency response from reactive to a proactive mode for disaster management. 

During the meeting, PMD also briefed the forum on weather outlook for this winter season. Representative ex National Information Technology Board (NITB) informed NEOC about current status of registration of flood-affected farmers on digital application and their ongoing verification process to provide relief assistance. яндекс 

Representatives of Ministry of Food Security, Ministry of Railways, Pakistan Meteorology Department (PMD), Federal Flood Commission (FFC), National Highway Authority (NHA), Ministry of Information & broadcasting, Provincial Health Departments, and National Information Technology Board (NITB) also attended the session.