Observer Report
Geneva/Karachi
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak “is a controllable pandemic” if countries step up measures to tackle it, the head of the World Health Organization said Thursday. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged Wednesday that the global outbreak of the new coronavirus could now be considered a pandemic — a disease actively spreading globally.
But he told diplomats in Geneva that describing the outbreak as a pandemic should not mean that countries give up the fight to stop it spreading further. “This is a controllable pandemic,” he said, in his remarks.
“We are deeply concerned that some countries are not approaching this threat with the level of political commitment needed to control it. “The idea that countries should shift from containment to mitigation is wrong and dangerous,” he stressed.
More than 4,500 people have died, according to an AFP tally, while the WHO said some 125,000 cases had been reported from 118 countries and territories. “To save lives we must reduce transmission,” Tedros insisted.
“That means finding and isolating as many cases as possible and quarantining their closest contacts,” he said, urging states to test every suspected case of COVID-19 in a bid to slow transmission. “Even if you cannot stop transmission, you can slow it down and protect health facilities, old age homes and other vital areas — but only if you test all suspected cases.”
The Punjab government has declared a “health emergency” in the province to deal with the novel coronavirus which has been designated as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The decision to declare health emergency was taken by the Punjab cabinet on Thursday after receiving a briefing on the novel coronavirus from provincial health officials.
The cabinet was informed that as many as 3,964 Zaireen who returned from a pilgrimage in Iran have been screened and kept under observation. A quarantine facility has been established in the southern Punjab district of DG Khan for 800 pilgrims from Iran.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has called an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee to discuss measures to be taken to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading in the country.
Chief ministers of all four provinces have been invited to the meeting. The meeting will also be attended by ministers of defence, interior and foreign ministries as well as premier’s aides on health Dr Zafar Mirza, economy Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, information and broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan and national security division Moeed Yusuf.
All three heads of the armed forces and the directors-general of Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau will also attend the meeting among other officials.
Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday reported another case of coronavirus taking the total number of cases to 21 in Pakistan. According to spokesperson of the Gilgit-Baltistan government Faizullah Firaq, the patient — a 31-year-old resident of Shigar district — had a travel history of Iran. He said that the patient was under treatment at the Skardu hospital, adding that the new case takes the tally to three in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The number of COVID-19 confirm cases in country has reached 21 after the Gilgit Baltistan government confirmed the 21st case in a 31 years old man who also had the travel history of Iran.
Sindh government spokesperson Barrister Murtaza Wahab categorically rejected claims that the provincial government is hiding information regarding the spread of coronavirus.
Wahab said: “I want to make it clear, the Sindh government is not hiding any information about coronavirus or the number of patients [in the province]. The government is sharing information with the people as soon as it is received.”
Wahab confirmed that another patient diagnosed with the infection had recovered. His announcement comes after Pakistan reported that the tally of coronavirus affected had reached 21 as another patient was diagnosed with the novel virus on Thursday.
Wahab advised the federal government to take the pandemic seriously and urged them to “wake up from their slumber”. He said that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had tried to speak to Prime Minister Imran Khan but the latter was not available.
Earlier Thursday, the Sindh health department issued an advisory on coronavirus for schools, saying any student or employee who returned to Pakistan within the last 15 days from abroad would not be allowed to go to school, college or university till they complete a 14-day quarantine at their home.
