-GB reports 3rd Coronavirus case, declares Medical Emergency
-5 suspected patients admitted to Punjab hospitals
-64-year-old cured after serving isolation in Karachi
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday called a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) to decide a national action plan to counter the coronavirus outbreak declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The meeting of the country’s top civil-military body will be held at the Prime Minister House on Friday evening.
The three services chiefs, the federal ministers for interior, foreign and law affairs will be in attendance in the meeting.
The meeting will take a decision on whether or not to declare a national emergency over the virus outbreak.
Earlier today, a 31-year-old man in Shigar district tested positive for coronavirus, Gilgit-Baltistan focal person on coronavirus confirmed. The 31-year-old man had visited Iran and tested
positive for the disease today. This takes the total number of confirmed cases in Pakistan to 22 and three in Gilgit-Baltistan. Prior to that, two more cases of novel coronavirus were reported at the Pak-Afghan Torkham border. One patient is a Pakistani national and other is an Afghan national, who was sent back to his country, after detection of the deadly virus.
Since the start of the outbreak in late December, more than 115,000 people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus disease, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 people. Over half of the people who contracted COVID-19 have recovered, although the number of cases is rising rapidly, in particular, across Europe.
Meanwhile, A 31-year-old man in Shigar district has tested positive for coronavirus, Gilgit-Baltistan focal person on coronavirus confirmed on Thursday.
According to Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson, a 31-year-old man had visited Iran and tested positive for the disease today. This takes the total number of confirmed cases in Pakistan to 22 and three in Gilgit-Baltistan. Earlier in the day, two more cases of novel coronavirus reported at the Pak-Afghan Torkham border. One patient is a Pakistani national and other is an Afghan national, who was sent back to his country, after detection of the deadly virus.
Pakistani patient identified as Muhammad Asghar is an employee in the Pakistan Embassy in Afghanistan, who was sent back to Pakistan on the special directives of the foreign office, said sources.
Since the start of the outbreak in late December, more than 115,000 people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus disease, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 people. Over half of the people who contracted COVID-19 have recovered, although the number of cases is rising rapidly, in particular, across Europe.
Abid Usman adds from Lahore: The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Punjab on Thursday confirmed that 81 suspected coronavirus patients have been reported in Punjab but none of them has been tested positive. The spokesperson said that 81 suspected cases of coronavirus have been reported in Punjab province, out of them 71 have been discharged and declared clear from coronavirus.
“No confirmed coronavirus case in Punjab. Five suspected coronavirus patients have been admitted to Punjab hospitals and were currently in isolation wards,” he added. He further said that over 4500 passengers have been screened in the last 15 days and no confirmed case has been reported thus far.
Earlier in the day, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza has said that Facebook will run a public awareness campaign on its platform for Pakistani users to combat the spread of coronavirus in the country. The development comes during the meeting of the Facebook delegation who called on Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza here in Islamabad on Thursday. Issues related to coronavirus were discussed in detail during the meeting. Zafar Mirza said that Facebook delegation has offered Pakistan to run an awareness campaign to combat the novel COVID-19 in the country. He said that there are millions of Pakistani users on Facebook and the step will country in the fight against corona.
The Facebook international delegation member Jolin Zu said the social media website will remove the misinformation regarding coronavirus from Facebook. On Wednesday, the second coronavirus case was reported from Gilgit-Baltistan reported, raising Pakistan’s tally of total confirmed cases to 19.
Zeeshan Mirza adds from Karachi: Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh on Law, Anti-Corruption Establishment, and information Murtaza Wahab on Thursday announced another patient as cured after initially being tested positive for coronavirus and being kept in medical isolation, media reported.
Wahab held a press conference on the good news and revealed that 12 others were currently being treated and under observation for coronavirus.
The recently cured patient’s age has been revealed to be 64 years which calls for a special celebration said, Wahab.
Across the globe, old people have been seen as more susceptible to dangerous infections and an old person being cured in Pakistan is being seen as a major positive.
The Advisor to Sindh government also said that the Federal government has thus far remained incapable with controlling the virus whereas he also claimed that the Prime Minister of Pakistan has not even called the Chief Minister of Sindh over the diagnosed patient and outbreak of the virus.
Earlier in the day, a 31-year-old man in Shigar district has tested positive for coronavirus, Gilgit-Baltistan focal person on coronavirus confirmed.
