ISLAMABAD: The President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi, has also tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. President Alvi announced this in a tweet, “I have tested positive for Covid-19. May Allah have mercy on all Covid affectees. Had 1st dose of vaccine, but antibodies start developing after 2nd dose that was due in a week. Please continue to be careful.”

The news comes days after PM Imran had tested positive for the Covid-19.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan said that the premier was isolating at home. On March 15, the president and the First Lady, Samina Alvi, got their anti-Covid vaccine in Islamabad, with the former urging the nation to take precautions to make the country sail through the third wave of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak has also tested positive for the deadly virus.

Pakistan's Covid-19 cases reached a nine-month high in the past week with more than 4,500 cases being reported consecutively.

The government is facing criticism over the slow rollout of the vaccine, considered essential to stem the spread of the lethal virus.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021