18 new cases of coronavirus emerge in Sindh

KARACHI: Eighteen new cases of coronavirus, including 13 in the Sukkur isolation center, have been diagnosed in Sindh. One patient came from Quetta. The number of cases has reached 35 in the province. This was disclosed in the 18th meeting of Taskforce on Coronavirus held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at the CM House. 

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Dr Azra Pechuho, Syed Nasir Shah, Adviser Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IGP Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Commisioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahlwani, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, DG PDMA, representatives of airport services, Civil Aviation, FIA, 5 Corps and Rangers.

In a briefing to the chief minister, it was revealed that 40 samples of pilgrims from the Sukkur Quarantine Center were tested in Karachi. Out of the 40 samples, 13 samples were diagnosed as positive. The chief minister directed commissioner Sukkur and Dr Bhatti of Gambat hospital to segregate the positive patients from the negative. “Those who are being diagnosed as serious should be shifted to the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences,” he issued directives. The chief minister was told that apart from Sukkur, five more cases of coronavirus had been diagnosed. They are three of the contacts of the patient who came from Saudi Arabia, another had pneumonia symptoms and diagnosed as coronavirus positive while the fifth one has come from Quetta with coronavirus symptoms. The chief minister said that out of 293 suspects who came from Taftan to Sukkur Isolation Center, they had tested 40 samples, of them 13 have been diagnosed as positive and 250 were yet to be tested. He added that another batch of 661 pilgrims was expected to arrive on Tuesday. "This is a serious situation and we all have to deal it accordingly,” he said. The details of 21 cases are as follows: Eight have travel history of Syria, three Dubai, three Iran and two of them have been cured, four have local transmission, two have travel history of Saudi Arabia and one patient came from Balochistan.

The chief minister was told that from Sukkur, 203 samples have landed in Karachi and the remaining 93 were on their way. The Sindh government has tested 339 samples, excluding Sukkur. Some 318 were declared negative while 21 have been diagnosed as positive. At present, 20 suspects are in quarantine at their homes and all of them would be released by March 19, if found negative. Presenting the daily report, the secretary health said that 1,874 cases of pneumonia have been reported by public sector hospitals while the private hospitals have shared the list of 702 patients. The government conducted the coronavirus test of those patients who had severe symptoms.

On Saturday, 4,631 passengers landed at the Jinnah Terminal, of them five were suspects, including one from Italy, one from Birmingham, one from Dubai and two of Jeddah.

Earlier, the chief minister along with his adviser on law visited a laboratory where coronavirus tests were conducted. He witnessed the testing process and provided them extra kits. He ordered provision of necessary machinery to enhance the capacity of the lab already working on testing of coronavirus samples. Prof Dr Bari of Indus Hospital briefed the chief minister about the process of testing the samples.

The chief minister then went to JPMC where he visited the newly-established isolation ward where some patients were under treatment. Executive director of JPMC briefed the chief minister about the arrangements she had made in the isolation ward. She complained of shortage of ventilators. The chief minister directed the chief secretary on phone to provide ventilators to JPMC and make their isolation center functional at its full capacity.

Murad Ali Shah directed commissioner Karachi to convert the flats of labour department as an isolation centre in Karachi. Similarly, the labour department apartments at Nooriabad, Kotri, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad are being converted into isolation centers. The chief minister released Rs150 million for the purpose. He directed the Indus Hospital to provide ventilators and other necessary equipment to the new centers.

The nation's tally now stands at 53, after another case was reported in Punjab, the first in the province, reported local media on Sunday. The first corona patient in the Punjab province has been identified in Lahore who came to Pakistan from Europe via Dubai on March 10, sources told The News here on Sunday.

“When this patient reached Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore he had no symptoms of the coronavirus due to which the medical team deputed for screening of passengers arriving in international flights got him cleared,” the sources said.

The sources said when this patient fell ill couple of days ago he conducted his medical test at a private laboratory where he was diagnosed as a coronavirus patient. They said the private laboratory immediately informed the provincial health ministry that contacted the patient who showed hesitation to come to a government hospital.

The sources said a medical team along with some policemen brought the patient to a government hospital observing complete health protocol introduced by World Health Organisation (WHO). “The sample of his blood was sent to a government laboratory to carry out his further tests that confirmed his disease that was earlier diagnosed at the private laboratory,” the sources said. The sources said the provincial health ministry also got details of all the persons who came into contact with this person after his return to Pakistan and started carrying out their medical tests to see whether coronavirus has been transmitted to any of them.

As far as precautionary measures are concerned, the Punjab government has imposed Section 144 in the province to tackle the spread of the coronavirus. According to the Punjab Chief Secretary, the Section 144 has been imposed for three weeks in the province to contain the spread of the infection. All educational institutions in the province will remain closed and the teaching staff will also not be permitted to enter schools, colleges and universities.

Meanwhile, the husband of 30-year-old woman who tested positive for coronavirus in Islamabad has also contracted this disease. The sources said the health ministry sent his blood sample for screening where he tested positive after which the blood samples of other people are also being taken who came into contact with these two persons It was reported that the woman was traveled from the United States to Pakistan recently. The woman’s condition was critical and she was taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) where she was placed on a ventilator.

Meanwhile, the sheltered homeless people, who may be at the risk of contracting the COVID-19, are being educated against the lethal virus that has been declared as pandemic for devouring several lives across the globe. With confirmed cases tally increases to over two dozen in Pakistan, the government being cognizant of the situation has issued health advisory for safety of the residents and beneficiaries of shelter homes, set up across the country to facilitate the downtrodden segments of society. “The health advisory containing precautionary measures against COVID-19 has been forwarded to volunteers and service providers of Panah Gahs to ensure safety of its dwellers and those who are visiting its ‘Lungar Khanas’ (food centers),” Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Shelter Homes Naseem Ur Rehman said during his visit to the G-9 facility.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said Sunday that Prime Minister Imran Khan was personally supervising the steps taken to overcome coronavirus in the country.

In a series of tweets, the SAPM said the government has taken these measures to cope with the international challenge of corona in the interest and for protection of people of Pakistan. She said these measures were also being acknowledged by World Health Organisation (WHO) as endorsed by its country representative. Firdous Ashiq Awan expressed the hope that the virus will be defeated with national harmony and solidarity. She said it is difficult time but the nation will come out of it successfully.