اردو
  • 1st coronavirus-related death reported in Sindh; Pakistan's death toll now at 3

    Coronavirus case updates File Photo Coronavirus case updates

    Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has confirmed the death of a 77 year old COVID-19 patient in the province.

    Pakistan's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 453 on friday, after new cases were reported in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

    The province-wide break up of cases are as follows:

    Total confirmed cases: 448

    • Sindh: 245

    • Punjab: 78

    • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 23

    • Balochistan: 81

    • Islamabad Capital Territory: 02

    • Gilgit-Baltistan: 23

    • AJK: 1

    Deaths: 3

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 2

    Sindh govt decides to convert Karachi Expo Centre into 10,000-bed hospital

    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 lockdown in the city.

    Readmore: Coronavirus: 61-year-old patient treated at PIMS, declared virus-free: sources

    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.

    The deceased man Saadat Khan, resident of Mardan had been tested positive for coronavirus on March 17 after arriving back to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia post performing Umrah on March 9.
    Another patient 36-year-old, who lost his life due to the virus, was resident of Hangu.

    Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Babar Iftikhar,

    Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Babar Iftikhar, taking over the briefing, said: “The army is in full swing to tackle the coronavirus alongside the civil governments.”

    Addressing a press alongside SAPM Awan and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza he said,“the army chief has directed all formations to inspect risk assessments at district and tehsil level and help civil administration tackle the pandemic,” he said.

    “We are helping the governments with quarantine facilities as well,” he said, adding: “We are stationed at all the entry points; there is a comprehensive strategy in place.”

    The Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta, Faisalabad, and Multan airports will be operational from March 21 and the Army and Rangers personnel will help the civil administration there as well, he said.

     

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that a national dashboard was launched which will provide real-time updates on the coronavirus cases across the country.

    “There have been far-reaching discussions on health between China and Pakistan. President Arif Alvi’s visit to China was to understand how to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan.”

    “With the assistance of the Chinese ambassador in Pakistan, we will interact with Chinese experts on infectious diseases and seek their help in tackling the pandemic and the fist video conference in this regard will take place in a day or two," he said.

    3 more coronavirus cases reported in Karachi, taking Sindh's tally to 211

    According to the breakup, so far 211 cases of the virus have been reported in Sindh, said CM Murad Ali Shah, while the number of cases in Punjab stands at 33, according to CM Buzdar.

    Globally, 164 countries have been affected, more than 8,200 people have died and more than 200,000 infected by the disease as it spreads rapidly to new territories.

    Readmore: Coronavirus: Italy reports 475 deaths in one day

    The epicentre of the outbreak has now shifted to Europe, which is recording a rapid rise in new cases every day.

    According to the health ministry, the new cases were reported in the northeastern Punjab, southern Sindh and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces.

    Balochistan suspends transport services for 15 days

    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.

    FM QURESHI MULLS SELF-ISOLATED QUARANTINE POST CHINA VISIT

    The foreign minister further said he would go under five-day isolation after his trip to China.

    “Before leaving for China we had a swab test done which came back negative,” Qureshi said.

    “When we reached China, a blood and swab test was done which also came back negative and only after that we had our meetings. Before leaving, another blood test was conducted whose result will come out today,” Qureshi said.

     PAKISTAN RAILWAYS SUSPENDS OPERATION OF TWELVE TRAINS

    Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Thursday ordered the suspension of twelve trains, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic across the globe.

    Suspension of twelve local trains with Karachi as their destination was confirmed by the Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in a press conference.

    The closure is to come into effect from March 22 and the trains will stop travelling to Karachi from various parts of Sindh province.