LAHORE : Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said on Monday 18,000 to 19,000 people are being vaccinated against the coronavirus in the province on a daily basis.

She said more than 400,000 people, including health professionals and elderly citizens, have thus far been inoculated. Punjab plans to vaccinate all of its elderly population by April-end or May, she added.

 “Vaccinating the elderly is the government’s foremost priority,” Yasmin Rashid pointed out. She announced that vaccination centres will stay open on Sundays to ensure as many people get vaccinated at the earliest as possible.

The minister said the elderly and persons with disabilities who are unable to visit a vaccination centre can call on health line 1033 to get anti-Covid-19 jabs at their homes.

She said the federal government has provided 200,000 more doses of Covid-19 vaccine and will provide more in the days to come. “We have received 20,000 doses of single-dose CanSino vaccine,” she revealed.

The minister said Punjab has earmarked Rs1.50 billion for procurement of vaccine.