Wednesday, 29 April, 2020
More than 300 have died from coronavirus in Pakistan
Total number of dead coronavirus patients in Pakistan hits 322 while over 3000 have also recovered from the novel coronavirus. Punjab has the most cases compared to all other provinces in the country.
Monday, 13 April, 2020
1095 patients have recovered from coronavirus in Pakistan
A total of 1095 patients have recovered from COVID-19 in Pakistan
according to the government’s official portal for tracking the spread of the disease. Total number of cases in the country stands at 5374 with a total of 93 deaths.
Friday, 10th April, 2020
727 patients have recovered from coronavirus in Pakistan
Another 200 people have recovered from Covid-19 in Pakistan during the past 24 hours, according to the government’s official portal for tracking the spread of the disease. A total of 727 people have recovered from the disease so far. Total number of cases in Pakistan stands at 4541 with 65 dead. Total number of cases worldwide has exceeded 1.6 million with 88,000 plus deaths.
Thursday, 9th April, 2020
453 Taftan pilgrims who earlier tested negative sent to districts turn out positive for virus
As many as 453 pilgrims out of 1,160, who were sent to their respective districts on Saturday after being declared ‘negative’ for Covid-19, have tested positive during later diagnosis.Sources said the district administration had got thermal screening of all the pilgrims conducted when they reached Multan from Taftan on March 20 and separated those who had symptoms of the infection from others.
The district administration had requested the provincial government, particularly the health department, to provide kits for screening of all the pilgrims so that the infected pilgrims could be separated from the healthy ones. They said the deputy commissioner at various meetings, besides contacting his high-ups and the health secretary, suggested that before sending these pilgrims to their respective districts, they must be tested. However, the district administration was asked to conduct the test of only five per cent of them, which was done and as a result three more pilgrims tested positive.
They said soon the local administration informed the pilgrims that they would be sent to their districts only after their tests were conducted again; the pilgrims protested the move by expelling the district staff from the quarantine centre. They also locked the doors from inside and did not allow anyone to enter the centre.
They said police deployed outside the centre [allegedly] remained non-cooperative with the district administration and refused to control the situation due to which the army was called and negotiations were held between the administration and pilgrims who were insisting that they should be sent to their areas as they had tested negative and already spent 15 days each in the quarantine centres of Taftan and Multan.
They said during the negotiations it was decided that the administration would send them to their respective districts after collecting their samples for tests. Finally, as per the promise they were sent to their native areas, while their samples were dispatched to the laboratories for tests.
PM Imran to launch Rs13.1 billion relief package for vulnerable families in KP
Prime Minister Imran Khan will launch a relief package of Rs13.1 billion for over 2.19 million economically vulnerable families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tomorrow (Friday), say officials. The provincial cabinet had approved the relief package on March 28 to mitigate the economic impact of the outbreak of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) on the poorest of the poor for three months.
It will provide Rs2,000 to each beneficiary for a period of three months and that will be in addition to the federal government’s cash handouts of Rs3,000 for every beneficiary of the Ehsaas programme. The province will dole out Rs2,000 each to 942,245 people registered by the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). The Rs2,000 aid per family will cost the province Rs5.65 billion over a period of three months.
Monday, 7 April, 2020
Not all is bleak, 429 patients have recovered from coronavirus in Pakistan
Yesterday, in Punjab Pakistan saw a big spike in coronavirus cases as cases in a day topped 100. The total number of cases in Pakistan now stands at 3918 and 55 have died of it. However, not all is bleak, 429 patients have recovered too.
Wednesday, 1 April, 2020
Government will most likely restore regular flight operations after April 4
The government has been considering restoring regular flight operations after April 4 and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued the Airline Operational Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the April 4-11 period. Spokesman for the Aviation Division Abdul Sattar Khokhar, who is also a senior joint secretary, said that the restoration of regular flights was under consideration, but “a final decision has not been taken yet”. He, however, confirmed that the CAA has issued an advisory to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members to minimise the risks associated with Covid-19 and recommended some preventive measures in case a decision is taken regarding resuming regular flights.
The government had suspended operations of all international passenger flights, and chartered and private inbound flights to Pakistan from March 21 to April 4.
Saturday, 28 March 2020
Total number of cases in Pakistan crosses 1400
Pakistan now has 1,415 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 12 people having died from the disease. At nearly 500, Punjab has the most number of cases out of all provinces. Twenty-five people have so far recovered from the virus.
Friday, 27 March 2020
KP reports 24 new cases
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 24 more Covid-19 cases, taking the provincial tally to 147, said provincial health ministry official Zain Raza.
Thursday, 26 March 2020
Mosques to remain open while congregational prayers have been restricted in Pakistan
Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri has said that in a meeting between President Arif Alvi and religious scholars from across the country, it was decided that congregational prayers in mosques will be “restricted”.
Old and sick people have been advised to pray at home with their families,
Saudi Arabia stops Pakistan from making Hajj agreement for this year
Saudi Arabia has told Pakistan not to prepare a Hajj agreement as the coronavirus continues to spread across the world.Saudi Arabia Hajj Minister Dr Saleh bin Taher Benten told the Pakistani government in a letter written on Thursday that there should be no agreement till the coronavirus situation is clear. Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has been addressed in the letter
21 people have recovered from coronavirus in Pakistan
Special Assistant of Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza has said that out of 1,118 patients of Covid-19 so far, 21 have recovered and returned home.
All educational institutions to remain closed till May 31st
Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood has decided to keep education institutions across the country closed until May 31, Planning Minister Asad Umar revealed during a press conference after a meeting of the National Coordination Committee.
Wednesday, 25 March 2020
PM Imran calls for lifting of travel ban during lockdown
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday stressed upon reviewing the extreme steps taken by the provinces to contain the spread of coronavirus as these would impact the economy drastically. Addressing the parliamentary leaders’ conference in Islamabad, PM Imran called for lifting the ban on transport and said this would badly affect the supply of essential items in the country.
Total number of cases in Pakistan hits 1000
The number of confirmed coronavirus in Pakistan soared to 1,000 on Wednesday after more cases were reported. According to the national dashboard, the new cases were reported in Balochistan, Sindh, Islamabad and Gilgit Baltistan.
Tuesday, 24 March 2020
Palestine’s two coronavirus patients were in Pakistani religious gathering before contracting the virus
Palestinian officials have announced the first two cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in the besieged Gaza Strip. Deputy Health Minister Youssef Abulreesh said late on Saturday the two Palestinian patients had returned from Pakistan via Gaza’s Rafah border with neighbouring Egypt. The Palestinian city’s first two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus had attended a religious conference in Pakistan last month along with 250,000 Muslims, an official and family members said on Monday. The congregation had gone on despite government’s advice to cancel it owing to the coronavirus threat.
Punjab reports first death from virus, total tally goes up to 7
Punjab on Tuesday reported its first death from coronavirus. According to the provincial Health Minister Yasmin Rashid, the patient was a 57-year-old admitted to Mayo Hospital.
The country has also reported six deaths from the virus, with Balochistan reporting its first death on Sunday.
Monday, 23 March 2020
PCB pitches in by converting Karachi’s high performance centre into a temporary living area for paramedics
On request from the Sindh Government, the Pakistan Cricket Board, has converted the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre into a temporary living area for the paramedics who are working at the makeshift hospital established at Expo Centre, Karachi.
“All the paramedic staff are our heroes as in these challenging and difficult times, they are risking their lives to save the lives and well-being of many affected by COVID-19,” stated PCB Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer.
“As a small token of our appreciation and acknowledgement to these unsung heroes and as part of our duty of care, the PCB is pleased to offer its state-of-the-art Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre as a temporary lodging and boarding facility for the paramedic staff working at Expo Centre hospital so that they can serve those suffering from COVID-19 more effectively and efficiently”.
Interior Ministry gives go-ahead to deployment of armed forces across country
As Pakistan’s toll for Coronavirus crosses 800, the interior ministry has authorised the deployment of armed forces in all four provinces of the nation, Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The decision was taken under Section 245 (functions of armed forces) of the Constitution and Section 131(A) (power to use military force for public security and maintenance of law and order) of the CrPC. The interior ministry has also issued separate notifications approving the request issued by the administrations of all provinces and territories.
As of right now, there are 873 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Pakistan, with 394 cases in Sindh, 246 in Punjab, 108 in Balochistan, 72 in AJK/GB, 38 in KP and 15 in Islamabad.
Shehbaz Sharif has offered to turn Sharif Groups’ hospitals into quarantine centres
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has offered the government to use Sharif Group’s hospitals as quarantine centres as part of his efforts to help contain the spread of Covid-19, party spokesperson said. In a party meeting, Shehbaz also formed a health task force, which would monitor the coronavirus situation in Pakistan and also prepare recommendations in order to help the people
Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani tests positive for coronavirus
Sindh government representative Saeed Ghani tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. The minister took to Twitter to reveal that he had tested positive for the virus, in a video message.
Punjab announces partial lockdown
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has announced a 14-day partial lockdown in the province as part of an effort to contain the novel coronavirus. Malls, parks and public places will be closed and pillion riding will also be banned. The lockdown will remain in place until April 6.
Saturday, 21 March 2020
Pilgrims reportedly broke out of quarantine centre in Sukkur
Pilgrims who were placed in isolation in Sukkur after their return from Iran reportedly broke out of the quarantine centre on Saturday. According to reports, they came out of the quarantine centre to protest lack of adequate facilities. However, the timely intervention by law enforcement agencies handled the situation and the citizens were sent back to the centre by the authorities. Clip of a cleric, who instigated the break out, aired on news channels where he threatened the government that if the the pilgrims are not provided the facilities they are asking for, a protest will be staged in violation of the government’s orders against public gatherings.
International flights suspended in Pakistan for 2 weeks
In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan announced on Saturday it is suspending international flight operations for two weeks.
Balochistan reports 12 more coronavirus cases
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan rose to 531 after Balochistan reported 12 new cases in the provinces on Saturday. “The number of confirmed cases in the province now stand at 104,” provincial chief secretary said. The decision will come into effect from Saturday night, 8pm, informed the Special Assistant to PM. Dr Yusuf, while calling it a difficult decision, said that the ban is temporary and it does not include cargo and diplomats in Pakistan.
According to a PIA spokesperson, the airline is suspending its international flight operations for a week. The spokesperson added that the suspension will come into effect from March 21 until March 28.
Sindh reports 15 new cases
Sindh has announced that 15 nw coronavirus cases have emerged in the province. According to Sindh Health Department the total tally for the province has risen to 267.
Pakistan’s total coronavirus cases currently stand at 510.
Friday, 20 March 2020
Sindh to undergo a complete lockdown for three days
The Government of Sindh has directed all citizens to completely isolate themselves over the weekend. It is essential that everyone remain in their houses over the weekend, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, has said. The directives were issued after a meeting of the Sindh cabinet in which the provincial situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak was discussed in detail.
Educational institutions in Peshawar declared quarantine facilities
The district administration on Thursday declared educational institutions in Peshawar as coronavirus quarantine facilities. A notification issued by the administration said the premises declared as Coronavirus Quarantine Facilities are student hostels at Peshawar University campus, including sub-campuses of other universities and educational institutes within these premises, Postgraduate Medical Institute Peshawar, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical Institute and Pakistan Academy for Rural Development.
The administration also asked the Capital City Police to ensure deployment across the facility to prevent any unauthorised movement in and out of the premises.
Punjab reports 16 new cases
Punjab has reported 16 more cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the provincial tally to 96, according to a notification issued by the provincial health department spokesperson Qaiser Asif. So far, 71 of the cases have been reported from Zaireen who travelled to the province from the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, 15 from Lahore, two from Multan, three from Muzaffargarh, one from Rawalpindi, three from Gujrat and one from Jehlum, Asif said.
Pakistan reports third death of a coronavirus patient as total tally of cases crosses 450
Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has confirmed the death of a 77 year old COVID-19 patient in the province. The minister said the patient was was a cancer survivor and had diabetes and hypertension when he contracted the virus. She added that the patient did not have any travel or contact history. The patient was a resident of Karachi. This is the first death reported in the province, which has been the most affected by the virus.
Thursday, 19 March 2020
Punjab reports 45 new cases, nationwide tally goes to 380
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid announced that the province has received 45 new cases, taking the nationwide toll to 380. The minister stated that the provincial tally of the coronavirus cases of Punjab now stands at 78.
Balochistan reports 22 new coronavirus cases
The Balochistan government on Thursday reported 22 new cases of coronavirus, taking the provincial tally to 45. This takes the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan to 329.Earlier on Thursday, Sindh had reported three new cases of the virus in Karachi.
Pakistan on Wednesday reported its first death from the virus. Both the deaths were reported from Khyber Pakhthunkwa.
Transport services suspended for 15 days in Balochistan
The Balochistan government has suspended inter-city bus services and public transport in Quetta and other parts of the province for 15 days to curb the spread of coronavirus. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by the Balochistan chief secretary.
Karachi Expo Centre to turn into a hospital with 10,000 beds
The Sindh government has decided to convert the Karachi Expo Centre into a 10,000-bed hospital. The decision was made during a meeting of the provincial task force on coronavirus. The chief minister has also directed the authorities to distribute 2 million grocery bags among needy families. He observed that people seem worried about food availability in view of a partial lock down in the city. In the first phase, one month’s worth of grocery items will be distributed. The grocery bags will include flour, rice, three kinds of pulses, ghee, sugar, tea bags, dry milk and spices.
Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Pakistan records first death from coronavirus in Gilgit Baltistan
Pakistan on Wednesday reported its first death due to the coronavirus, said spokesperson for the Gilgit Baltistan Faizullah Firaq. According to the spokesperson, the patient was a 90-year-old man and belonged to Chilas are of the GB. Firaq said he was under treatment at the CMH Gilgit for the last four days. The spokesperson added that the victim had no travel history.
8 more people in Sukkur test positive for COVID-19; total tally goes up to 258
Eight more pilgrims, who returned from Taftan to Sukkur, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, taking Sindh’s tally up to 189, Meeran Yousuf, media coordinator of the health and population welfare minister said.
Total number of coronavirus cases in the world crosses 200,000
Confirmed cases of the new coronavirus have crossed 200,000 worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University’s tally. The virus has claimed the lives of over 8,000 persons, while over 80,000 have recovered.
Nine more cases reported in Sindh, 2 more in KP and 1 in AJK
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Sindh rose to 181 on Wednesday after nine more cases were reported in the province, taking the nation-wide toll to 250.
“143 tests of the 290 that we conducted came back positive,” Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab told a press conference. “All of these had been shifted from Taftan to a quarantine in Sukkur.”
“147 of these are negative, while two have been discharged after making a full recovery” he added.
Sindh’s reports 17 new cases; country’s total rises to 212
The total number of coronavirus patients in the province rose to 172 on Tuesday after 17 new cases of the infection were reported in the province, Sindh government representative Murtaza Wahab confirmed. Taking to Twitter, the chief minister’s adviser on law stated that 134 pilgrims in Sukkar who arrived from Taftan had tested positive for the virus while 140 had tested negative. This takes the country’s total to 212.
Number of coronavirus cases in Punjab rises to 6
Five cases of of coronavirus have been confirmed in in DG Khan, taking Punjab’s tally to 6.
Provincial Minister for Health Dr Yasmeen Rashid has said that the five cases are all from the over 700 cases in quarantine in DG Khan.
Suspected coronavirus patient dies in Lahore didn’t not die of coronavirus. He tested negative.
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that the cause of death for an individual who passed away at Mayo Hospital in Lahore was not coronavirus.
In a tweet, Buzdar said that they had received the individual’s test reports.
Earlier, Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmeen Rashid had confirmed the man’s death and said that his test results were awaited. She said that the information would be given to the media when it arrives.
Further, CM Buzdar added that Punjab had eight confirmed cases and were being provided with the “best available treatment”.
5 more cases emerge in Sindh; Pakistan’s tally rises to 189
The number of coronavirus cases in Sindh has risen to 155.
This takes the total tally for Pakistan to 189.
Total number of cases in Pakistan hits 183
47 new cases have been reported in Sindh, bringing the total tally of coronavirus cases in the province to 150. 119 of the cases arrived in Sukkur from Taftan while 30 are from Karachi and one from Hyderabad.
The “exponential increase is largely due to the recent inflow of people brought in from Taftan after a purported quarantine,” stated Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab.
Sunday, 15 March 2020
Coronavirus: Italy records 368 new COVID-19 deaths in 1 day
A total of 1,809 people with COVID-19 have now died in Italy, which is the hardest-hit by the virus in Europe. The number of cases in Italy rose to more than 24,700.
The total number of cases in Spain saw its number of coronavirus deaths more than double in a day to 288.
Ban on public gatherings in Islamabad as the capital shuts down amid COVID-19 fear
The administration has banned public gatherings including wedding receptions for three weeks in its fight to contain the possible outbreak of coronavirus. It has also ordered the management of universities to ensure the eviction of students from hostels.
The Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) on Saturday banned public entry to the Islamabad Zoo, Daman-e-Koh, Pir Sohawa, Sector F-9 Park and all other recreational places under the Islamabad local government.
Section 144 imposed in Punjab
On Sunday, the Punjab Chief Secretary announced that section 144 is being imposed in the province for 3 weeks after new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in the country. The section has been imposed to contain the spread of the virus.
Under the section, all educational institutions in the province will remain closed; teaching staff will also be prohibited from entering the school, colleges and university premises. Punjab’s provincial government has also decided to keep parks, zoos and picnic points closed for the public.
First coronavirus case reported in Lahore, Punjab
A 54 year old man tested positive for coronavirus in Lahore on Sunday. After showing symptoms, he was admitted to the Mayo Hospital in Lahore. The patient recently returned back to Pakistan from United Kingdom.
The news was initially reported by 24 News on Sunday morning and has now been confirmed by DAWN News.
India closes border with Pakistan
India has suspended movements of all types of passengers through international border points with Pakistan from midnight of 16 March in light of the coronavirus outbreak. More than 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in India, with the state of Maharashtra being the worst hit.
“All types of passenger movements through all the immigration land check posts located India-Bangladesh, India-Nepal, India-Bhutan and India-Myanmar borders will be suspended with effect from 00:00 hours on March 15, except through a few posts, and at India-Pakistan border with effect from 00:00 hours on March 16 until further orders,” the notification read.
Health inspections at entry points have been intensified as well. However, diplomats and UN personnel with valid visas are allowed to enter through the Attari crossing point along the India-Pakistan border. The new order has also suspended visits to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur for Sikh pilgrims.
World Cup 2022 qualifiers cancelled by FIFA after coronavirus outbreak
Fifa have announced they have postponed Conmebol’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers due to COVOID-19 outbreak.
A statement from the sport’s governing body read: “Following consultation with CONMEBOL, FIFA has decided to postpone the upcoming South American qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as follows:
- Matches originally scheduled to take place during the international window of 23-31 March 2020 are postponed to later dates
- Details of the postponed matches will be discussed and announced soon
13 March, 2020
Brazilian president’s press secretary tests positive for coronavirus, after meeting with US President Donald Trump
Fabio Wajngarten, the press secretary for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.
Bolsonaro’s health is being monitored. It comes just days after Wajngarten met US President Donald Trump in Florida. Bolsonaro’s aide posted an image of himself standing with Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend.
Bolsonaro’s aide posted an image of himself standing with Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend.
12 March 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are in self-isolation as she awaits COVID-19 test results.
Meeting between Trudeau, the premiers and other leaders have been postponed indefinitely in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Having recently returned from a speaking engagement in London, U.K., the Prime Minister’s wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau began exhibiting mild flu-like symptoms including a low fever late last night……. She is self-isolating at home awaiting test results, and her symptoms have since subsided.” The Canadian Prime Minister Office released a statement today.
12 March 2020
Coronavirus: Pornhub makes premium subscription free for Italy!
“Forza Italia, We love you! PornHub has decided to donate its percentage revenue from the ModelHub platform from March to help Italy during the outbreak. To help you during these weeks at home, for the whole months you can access PornHub Premium free of charge, with no need for using your credit card.” – The Porn hub official statement read.
Italy is one of those countries that have been hit the hardest by coronavirus. More than 12,000 Covid-19 patients have been registered, out of which 827 have died.
Italy is currently on lockdown and during this time Pornhub has made its premium service free for Italians for a month.
Recently, reports of a specific genre of porn, including people wearing hazmat suits and masks, started trending on Pornhub.
12:00 AM, 2 March 2020
13 hundred Pakistani citizens return from Iran
Over thirteen hundred more Pakistani citizens including one thousand thirty four pilgrims arrived in Pakistan and eight Iranian citizens left for their county after immigration process at Pak-Iran border in Taftan.
According to official sources, the returning Pakistani citizens were screened by health teams deputed on Pak-Iran border in Taftan. And were tested negative.
Levies officials confirmed that pilgrims were referred to quarantine and later allowed for traveling while other people were allowed to proceed towards their destinations.
11:00 AM, 2 March 2020
President Alvi shares public awareness message on coronavirus
President Alvi who has carefully been looking out for the country’s health also shared a video for the awareness of the coronavirus.
2:00 AM, 1 March 2020
Sindh health department suggests people not to panic, and follow health advisory
The Sindh health department has suggested the public to not panic and follow the health advisory issued by them to prevent coronavirus outbreak in the province. The department tested samples of eight suspects today and all of them came out to be negative, Media Coordinator to the Health and Population Welfare Minister Meeran Yousuf stated.
5:00 AM, 1 Mar
WHO satisfied with Pakistan’s response to coronavirus cases
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed confidence in the way the Pakistani government is treating the coronavirus patients as per standardized clinical protocols and efficiently. The health agency also announced that it is stepping up provision and close monitoring of immediate support to the government so that preparedness and response measures are in place to handle the situation as it develops.
“I am impressed by the swift and diligent way the government has handled the crisis so far, and WHO is committed to support them every step of the way,” said Representative of the WHO in Pakistan, Dr Palitha Mahipala.
5:00 AM, 1 Mar
Sindh govt extends closure of educational institutions till March 13
All educational institutions in Sindh province will remain closed till March 13, the provincial government has announced in fear of the spread of coronavirus. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. Last week, when Pakistan confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus, the Sindh government had decided to close educational institutions in the province for two days on Thursday and Friday (Feb 27 and Feb 28).
11:00 AM, 1 Mar
Sindh health secretary rejects reports of Karachi’s hoax case
Sindh Health Secretary Zahid Abbasi rejected the news reports of a patient under treatment at Aga Khan University Hospital did not have coronavirus, dismantling rumors that the case was a hoax.
He said that after the patient had been tested positive for the virus, upon his return from Iran, he was kept in isolation for treatment.
Abbasi also said that the tests carried out yesterday were positive, therefore, the patient remains under treatment, adding that only once the test results are negative, the patient will be released. He said that the patient’s family had tested negative and his condition was also improving.
The provincial health secretary added that they were providing regular updates on the situation via the media and urged the media to refrain from “irresponsible” coverage of coronavirus and cause panic. Media reports had drawn the conclusion that the case had been a hoax as the patient had tested negative in final laboratory reports. Abbasi said there was no authenticity to the Karachi University vice chancellor’s statement, quoted in the report. And, in fact, the report was a hoax.
10:00 AM, 1 Mar
9 samples from Gilgit Baltistan sent to Islamabad for testing
Focal person for Gilgit Baltistan’s coronavirus hazard in the health department Dr Shah Zaman said that samples of nine individuals have been sent to Islamabad for testing. Out of the nine, a woman from Gilgit Baltistan has been shifted to a local hospital in Rawalpindi after she had shown severe symptoms. Additionally, he said that they had received complaints that two children from a family based in Islamabad, which included Zaireen, had symptoms of coronavirus upon arrival in Gilgit Baltistan. Following a check-up, they were shifted to Islamabad. Today, one of two suspected women was shifted to an isolation ward and four members of a family were restricted to their house and put under close monitoring.
3:00 PM, 27 Feb
Pakistan suspends traveling to and from Iran at Midnight
Pakistan decided to suspend all flight operations to Iran from midnight after the first two coronavirus cases were confirmed in the country a day earlier. Pakistan had closed borders with Iran following a spike in novel coronavirus cases.
“I can confirm the first two cases of coronavirus in Pakistan. Both cases are being taken care of according to clinical standard protocols and both of them are stable,” Dr Zafar Mirza, the special assistant to the prime minister on National Health Services. Read the full story here.
12:06 PM, 27 Feb
Sindh government forms task force
On Thursday, the Sindh government formed a task force for the coronavirus outbreak. The decision was taken in an emergency meeting led by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to plan a strategy to prevent the spread of the virus. The task force comprises of the chief minister, chief secretary, health secretary, Karachi commissioner and other health officials.
In the conference, Shah stated 1,500 people were identified who had travelled back to Pakistan from Iran or had come into contact with those who entered Sindh from Iran in the past 15 days; the first step is to check if they are experiencing any symptoms of the virus.
The chief minister added that according to their information, 28 individuals may have been exposed to the virus in Karachi, 1,500 in Sindh and 5,000 all across the countrynull
9:00 AM, 27 Feb
Schools closed in Sindh and Balochistan
All educational institutes in Sindh and Balochistan have been ordered to remain closed as a precautionary measure. Balochistan Education Minister Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind announced to extend vacations till March 15.
“All government and private educational institutions will remain closed on Thursday & Friday (27th & 28th Feb),” Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani on Wednesday tweeted.
12:00 AM, 27 Feb
Help line established
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has confirmed the set up of a dedicated helpline – 1166 – for coronavirus patients. “Please don’t hesitate to call the number,” he said.
11:30 PM, 26 Feb
Press conference held
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on health, Dr Mirza, addressed a press conference in Quetta, after the first case was confirmed.
“I request you that even if you know, do not spread this information,” he said. Dr Mirza confirmed that one case was reported in Sindh and one in Islamabad.
“Both of them travelled to Iran recently and I think it is necessary to tell the people that we should not panic,” he said, emphasising on prevention and showing responsibility.
10:22 PM, 26 Feb
In a tweet on Wednesday evening, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza confirmed that two cases of the novel coronavirus have been detected in Pakistan.
“I can confirm first two cases of coronavirus in Pakistan. Both cases are being taken care of according to clinical standard protocols & both of them are stable,” he wrote, “No need to panic, things are under control.”
Dr. Zafar Mirza will hold a press conference tomorrow following his return from Taftan.
9:59 PM, 26 Feb
Wednesday – A spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department has confirmed that the first positive case of coronavirus has been reported in Karachi.
The 22 year old man, who tested positive for the virus, travelled to Iran where he acquired it and started showing symptoms, Media Coordinator to the Health and Population Welfare Minister Meeran Yousuf said in a statement. The patient travelled back to Pakistan from Karachi on February 20.
What is the health department doing?
He has been placed in quarantine with his family and the Health Department is in the process of examining all passengers aboard the concerned flight.
Read more from ProperGaanda: Lion kills 18 year old boy
