The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday decided to make complete COVID-19 vaccination certificates mandatory for air travel after September 10.
The NCOC also took a major decision to speed up vaccination process across the country. It announced that the partial vaccination certificate would become invalid after September 10 “whereas all the provinces had been informed regarding this decision”.
The interval between the first and second doses of all types of vaccines is reduced from 42 days to 28 days, the forum added.
The decision was made in consultation with the Ministry of Health and medical experts, it said.
The NCOC had underlined that the early completion of vaccination process is useful in reducing the prevalence and spread of the disease in the country.
In a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus infections, the NCOC had also announced on Monday that only vaccinated individuals would be allowed to travel by train from October 1.
The decision was taken during a meeting presided over by NCOC chief Asad Umar. During the meeting, the high-level forum expressed concern over the alarming increase in infections across Pakistan, particularly Rawalpindi and Peshawar.
The NCOC issued instructions to the authorities concerned to ensure compliance with the anti-virus SOPs in an effective manner. The forum also deliberated upon measures taken ahead of Muharram.
The NCOC expressed satisfaction with the pace of vaccinations across Pakistan. However, it stressed that the second dose of the vaccine needed to be administered in a timely manner.
