-Overall confirmed COVID-19 cases rise to 500
-New cases reported in Sindh, Baluchistan
-Provinces race against time to upgrade health facilities, coupe with epidemic
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: Sindh health official on Friday confirmed the death of a coronavirus patient in Karachi.
In a video statement issued to media, Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said a 77-year-old COVID-19 patient has lost the battle against the virus. The confirmation takes the total number of virus deaths in Pakistan to three.
The minister said the patient 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.
Earlier this week, two patients from KP who tested positive for the coronavirus had died, officials said. The patient from Sindh who passed away today was the first death from the local transmission of the virus.
The third death from the coronavirus was reported as the total cases of the virus in the country rose to more than 450 on Friday, after new ones were reported in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
Sindh is the most affected province in the outbreak, with 238 confirmed cases of the virus. Punjab has 80, KP has 23, Balochistan 81, Islamabad 7, and GB has 21 confirmed cases.
Globally, 176 countries have been affected, more than 9,700 people have died and more than 234,000 infected by the disease as it spreads rapidly to new territories. The epicentre of the outbreak has now shifted to Europe, which is recording a rapid rise in new cases every day.
‘A large number of people’ from Iran quarantined in Karachi
The spokesperson for Sindh’s health minister said late Thursday the provincial government was aware of “a large number of people [that] have reached from Iran to Karachi” amid the coronavirus outbreak and that the pilgrims had been quarantined.
“We already know about them and they all have been quarantined,” said Meeran Yousuf, the provincial health minister’s spokesperson, when asked on Twitter if a rumour circulating on social media platforms was true.
Earlier in the day, a local journalist had tweeted: “A large number of people have reached from Iran to Karachi, particularly Lyari, without being properly screening at the borders.”
A first patient of coronavirus from Rawalpindi has surfaced as the infected a 40-year-old has come from Dubai few days back. He was stopped at the Islamabad airport after appearance of symptoms through thermal scanners.
The patient Zaib Noor was transported to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital while he was tested positive for his test for the coronavirus. 11 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Karachi on Friday, taking the total number of cases to 249 in Sindh and 475 in Pakistan. All the new cases emerged in the port city, the provincial health officials confirmed.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan reported its third coronavirus death as 77-year-old patient passed away in Karachi.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho in a video statement said the patient was a cancer survivor and had diabetes and hypertension but did not have any travel history. Gilgit-Baltistan reported new cases of the novel coronavirus today, pushing the total number of COVID-19 patients to 458 in Pakistan.
Yesterday, a third patient of the COVID-19 was released from a hospital after recovery. The patient was a resident of Hyderabad. Pakistan on Friday reported its third coronavirus death as 77-year-old patient passed away in Karachi, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho confirmed. Sindh health minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho in a video statement said the patient was a cancer survivor and had diabetes and hypertension but did not have any travel history.
Meanwhile, Gilgit-Baltistan reported new cases of the novel coronavirus today, pushing the total number of COVID-19 patients to 458 in Pakistan. There are 245 confirmed cases in Sindh, Balochistan 81, Punjab 80, K-P 23, Gilgit-Baltistan 21, Islamabad five and Azad Jammu and Kashmir one. I will continue to release this, but please bear in mind that the next couple of weeks are ones where the bulk of our time has to go in educating the public & gearing up our response system. Sindh has so far reported the highest number of coronavirus cases with 151 in Sukkur, 93 in Karachi, and one in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, a third patient of the COVID-19 was released today from a hospital after recovery. The patient was a resident of Hyderabad.
The adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, Ajmal Khan Wazir on Friday said there would be no lock-down imposed in the provincial capital but that people should remain cautious.
Addressing a press conference here in Peshawar, Wazir said the Ulema were playing an extremely crucial role amid the coronavirus outbreak. “Even Islam has instructed [Muslims] to combat any pandemic that spreads” among the people, he added. “In the current environment, it is better to say greetings than to shake hands. There can be no greater greeting than Assalaamu Alaikum.”
“It is better to refrain from going to gatherings without any justification,” the adviser added.
Wazir said all the Ulema stood strong with the people in such a challenging time and that people should save themselves, as well as others, in line with the teachings of Islam. “Everyone must take precautionary measures,” he stressed.
“Hoarding in such difficult times is against Islam’s teachings,” he said, adding that in line with what the Ulema unanimously decided, “anyone who died of [the] pandemic will be termed a ‘martyr’”.
People need to abstain from all non-essential travel, the adviser said, however, adding that there would not be a lockdown in Peshawar.Khan said that there should be sadaqa, zakat, and khairat — or offerings, alms, and charity — for those facing challenges presently.
Wazir also stated that while the media had to play its role, the Ulema, too, should spread awareness through messages via loudspeakers in the mosques and on social media. He clarified that the Shariah was not against modern science and medicine.
With regard to the pilgrims from Taftan, he said some 170 of them had reached Dera Ismail Khan earlier but had been sent to Gilgit-Baltistan a day prior.
“Chief Minister Mahmood Khan himself visited the people quarantined in the Gomal Medical College and Darazinda village and received a briefing from the administration, as well as the officials there,” he said. The CM’s adviser said that the KP chief secretary had also reviewed all arrangements there.
Khan said that a 65-year-old woman — who was part of the caravan from Dera Ismail Khan to GB and suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, and a heart condition — had passed away. He, however, said that it was unclear whether the woman, hailing from Parachinar, died of the COVID-19 or her preexisting medical conditions. He also noted that another 250 people had been quarantined in Dera Ismail Khan. “We have to fight this pandemic as a nation,” he said.
In the latest measures against the coronavirus outbreak, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar approved the construction of a 900-bed field hospital and announced an estimated Rs8 billion in funds.
Buzdar approved the hospital to be constructed at Expo Centre Lahore. The funds will be released to the provincial health department and the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority.
CM Buzdar said that a committee has been constituted to aid the Balochistan government, adding that Punjab will help the south-western province in every possible way. CM Buzdar paid tribute to the doctors fighting against the pandemic, referring to them as national heroes.
He made an important announcement saying that the daily-wage workers will continue to get their wages and it will not be suspended. Highlighting further measures under the provincial government, the CM Punjab said that eight hotels in Lahore, with a capacity of total 880 beds, have been identified to assist in the process of quarantine.
Buzdar also announced a chief minister emergency fund, asking the affluent to donate as much as they can.
Cases rise in Punjab
Later in the day, Chief Minister Punjab confirmed more than 90 cases of coronavirus in the province.
“I can confirm that there are currently 96 #COVID19 positive cases in Punjab,” he said in a tweet.
