Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday tested positive for the COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home, his top aide on health announced, two days after he got the first shot of a vaccine.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan took to Twitter to confirm that Khan, 68, has contracted the coronavirus on a day when the country registered the highest number of COVID-19 cases since July last year.
Khan was vaccinated on Thursday as part of the nationwide anti-coronavirus vaccination campaign which is underway in its first phase.
Khan is reported to have received the first shot of the Chinese-produced Sinopharm vaccine, the only anti-COVID jab available in Pakistan.
PM Imran Khan has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self isolating at home, Sultan said in a tweet.
Khan’s spokesman Dr Shehbaz Gill said that the prime minister has just a slight fever and cough.
The report of Khan contracting the coronavirus came on a day the country reported 3,876 cases in the past 24 hours, the highest number since July last year. On July 2 last year, 4,432 cases were reported.
Pakistan started its COVID-19 vaccination drive in February after the first arrival of China-gifted vaccine doses, with frontline health workers given the priority for inoculation, while on March 10, the country started vaccination for the general public, starting with people aged 60 and above, Geo News reported.
Issuing a clarification on Khan’s vaccination, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said that antibodies develop two to three weeks after the 2nd dose of the 2-dose COVID-19 vaccines.
Prime Minister Imran Khan was not fully vaccinated when he contracted the virus. He only got the 1st dose and merely 2 days ago which is too soon for ANY vaccine to become effective. Anti-bodies develop 2-3 weeks after the 2nd dose of COVID vaccines, it said on Twitter.
On Sunday, he was scheduled to interact with the public via telephone calls. However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senator Dr Faisal Javed said that a new time and date will be announced soon.
“Due to PM Imran testing positive for Covid-19, a new date for live interaction with the public will be announced soon. Lots of prayers for everyone and PM Imran, he said in a tweet.
Javed added that Khan was experiencing “mild symptoms” and will continue to work from home over video conferencing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to his Pakistani counterpart for a speedy recovery from COVID-19.
Modi tweeted his wishes to Khan, “Best wishes to Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI for a speedy recovery from COVID-19.” PTI

Press Trust of India