Pakistan’s prime minister, cricket legend Imran Khan, has tested positive for COVID-19 – two days after receiving his first dose of the vaccine, officials announced.
The 68-year-old leader was “in good health” with a mild cough and fever and isolated himself at home, said his special assistant for health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, in announcement of the infection on Saturday.
The prime minister’s wife and two senior members of his Tehreek-e-Insaf (Justice) Party also tested positive, Sultan announced on Sunday.
Khan – who regularly attended meetings without wearing a mask – had just had his first shot of vaccination on Thursday.
Key members of his government urged citizens to continue to get vaccinated, fearing that news of the leader’s illness would only add to Pakistan’s widespread hesitation about the shots.
“It takes a few days for symptoms to manifest. Therefore, it is certain that PM was infected BEFORE the vaccination, ”said Asad Umar, the minister responsible for COVID-19 operations in the country, in a tweet.
“So please vaccinate,” he wrote.
While it has not been announced which vaccine Khan received, the injection from China’s National Pharmaceutical Group – Sinopharm – is the only one officially available in Pakistan.
According to media reports, a private Pakistani pharmaceutical company has imported 50,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, according to The Associated Press.
Pakistan has seen a worrying spike in COVID-19 cases in the capital and in eastern and northern areas. Authorities reported 44 new deaths and 3,667 new confirmed infections on Sunday.
In total, the virus has killed nearly 14,000 people in Pakistan and infected more than 626,000.
With Post Wires