Staff Reporter
Islamabad
As the number of novel coronavirus cases in Pakistan have jumped to five, the federal government has imposed a national health emergency across the country to contain the spread of the contagious disease.
State Minister for Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Tuesday confirmed the fifth case after a 45-year-old woman from Gilgit-Baltistan who recently visited Iran was diagnosed with COVID-19. “Dr Zafar Mirza briefed the federal cabinet on the measures taken to contain the spread of coronavirus,” Prime Minister Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Tuesday while addressing a press conference following the cabinet meeting in Islamabad.
The PM’s aide said that Dr Mirza during a meeting suggested several measures including declaring national health emergency across the country to deal with the spread of coronavirus cases, which was “approved by the cabinet”.
The federal cabinet has emphasised the need to strengthen the awareness campaign and make medical screening more effective particularly of those coming from Iran and China at all entry points of the country.
The virus has spread to more than 30 countries, killing over 2,700 and infecting at least 80,000 – mostly in China. But new outbreaks in Europe, Middle East and Asia have fanned fears of the contagion taking hold in poor nations that lack the healthcare infrastructure to cope.
The patient has been shifted to the isolation ward of a local hospital in Gilgit, while her family members are also being screened for the highly infectious virus. The minister assured the patient is stable and being taken care of.
Further, the interior ministry denied having released a document calling for the closure of all provincial and federal offices till March 15 in light of the coronavirus cases reported in the country. Taking to Twitter, the interior ministry said: “The ministry has not issued any press release/notification regarding holidays. Please do not spread information based on a fake document.”
Schools and other educational institutes in G-B have been closed till March 7 following the confirmation of the COVID-19 cases in the region. Geographically, G-B shares a border with China and the government would decide in April whether or not to reopen the Khunjarab Pass border crossing with China.
Sindh, which had closed all educational institutes till March 1 following the official confirmation of the first case in Karachi, on Monday extended the closure till March 13.
In Karachi, the authorities on Tuesday seized 40,000 facemasks imported by a private firm during a raid at the Port Qasim. The raided was conducted by sensitive agencies based on a tip-off that a container shipped from abroad had a huge quantity of surgical facemasks, the officials said. The raid was authorised by the Sindh government.
The provincial government decided to purchase the consignment at market price from the private firm which officials feared was planning to sell the imported facemasks at an inflated price.
