Tariq Saeed, Amraiz Khan, Zubair Yaqoob
Peshawar,Lahore, Karachi
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has confirmed Pakistan’s first two COVID-19 deaths in Mardan and Peshawar, as total number of novel coronavirus infections, with 19 fresh cases in Balochsitan, rose to 294 in the country on Wednesday.
The first deceased, a 50-year-old patient identified as Saadat Khan, had arrived from Saudi Arabia on March 9, KP CM’s Adviser on Information Ajmal Wazir said.
The deceased’s coronavirus test, he said, came positive yesterday (March 17). He hailed from Manga village, the adviser added.
KP Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra confirmed the second death on Twitter. “Sadly, a second patient in LRH [Lady Reading Hospital] Peshawar, a 36-year-old, from Hangu, has also passed away, from coronavirus,” he wrote.
Dr Zafar Mirza, the de facto national health minister, confirmed the first fatality from his official Twitter handle.
“With deep regret I confirm the death of first Pakistani due to #coronavirus. A 50-year-old male from Mardan recently returned from Umra, developed fever, cough & breathing difficulty and tested +ve for corona virus. Contacts are being screened. Our condolences to the family,” he wrote. Jhagra also shared the first death on Twitter.
Earlier in the day, the Gilgit-Baltistan government had retracted report of suspected coronavirus death.
The deadly pneumonia-like disease, which surfaced in China’s Hubei province late December 2019, has infected around 200,000 people globally with over nearly 8,000 deaths.
The G-B home secretary denied the death report after the government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed it, saying the patient belonged to Bunar area of Diamer district.
Faraq had said 13 COVID-19 patients are currently under treatment in the region.
The news comes minutes after the state minister for health, Dr Zafar Mirza, tweeted that so far no death has been reported from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, in Pakistan.
“There is no COVID19 related reported deaths so far in Pakistan. Allhamdolillah,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle on Wednesday while giving updates on the virus situation in Pakistan.
Dr Mirza said there are 247 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan. According to a breakup given by him, Sindh has 183 cases, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 19, Balochistan, 15, Gilgit-Baltistan, 13, Punjab, 9, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 7, and AJK, 1.
However, according to sources the total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 294 with 208 cases in Sindh while Punjab has 28, KP reported 19, Balochistan has 23, Islamabad two, Gilgit-Baltistan 14 and none in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Spokesperson to Sindh CM Murtaza Wahab confirmed 27 new cases among pilgrims returned from Taftan border, raising the provincial tally to 208.
As of now, he said, there are 151 confirmed cases in Sukkur (all in Taftan- returned pilgrims), 56 in Karachi and one in Hyderabad.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also confirmed two new cases, saying the total number of COVID-19 cases in the province now stands at 28.
No COVID-19 related death so far in Pakistan: Dr Mirza
Dr Mirza, in Wednesday’s statement, said, “The federal govt, the provinces and all stakeholders are working on a war footing for safety & well-being of the people of Pakistan… all resources are mobilised and measures taken for prevention and mitigation.”
A day earlier, the Punjab government denied the first reported fatality of the novel coronavirus in Pakistan and urged people to “act responsibility during the testing times”.
“We have received test reports of Imran Ali, who lost his life in Mayo Hospital, and his cause of death was not COVID19. I urge everyone that these are testing times & we should act responsibly..,” Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said in a tweet from his official handle.
The death was announced on a web portal the federal health ministry launched on Monday to keep a track of the spread of the virus. The deceased patient was under treatment in Lahore.
Authorities in Pakistan have screened over 1,015,900 travellers since the virus was first detected in the country. At least 20,088 travellers have been screened in the last 24 hours.
The varying stats paint a dismissal picture of coordination between the federal and provincial governments. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the nation late Tuesday paid a tribute to the Balochistan government and Pakistan Army officials for their part in containing the virus at the Taftan border.
However, Sindh government has come out criticising Centre for lack of foresight in quarantine arrangements in Taftan where over 9,000 pilgrims returning from Iran had been quarantined by the Balochistan government in a ‘tent city’.
After completing the 14-day incubation period, the pilgrims were allowed to travel back to their cities. However, Sindh and K-P sent the pilgrims to isolation facilities in Sukkur and Dera Ismail Khan and tested them before allowing further travel. So far 134 pilgrims tested positive in Sindh and another 15 in K-P.
The federal government maintained that health was a provincial matter under the 18th Amendment however Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) argued that border management falls under Centre’s domain.
In its March 13 National Security Committee meeting, Centre formed a Novel Coronavirus Core Committee with daily meetings between federal and provincial authorities.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government tasked National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to coordinate with provincial governments and lead the fight against novel coronavirus.
The federal government also decided to ban public gatherings, close all educational institutions until April 5 and cancel Pakistan Day parade on March 23. It also sealed borders and limited international flights operations to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
However, the NSC decision on international travel was taken back on Tuesday when the government lifted restrictions on all airports except Gwadar and Turbat.
In Sindh, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government edged towards lockdown after it closed all restaurants, malls, shopping centres and imposed Section 144. Only grocery stores and pharmacies have been allowed to operate.
Sindh also changed its academic year dates after preponing summer vacations and shut down all goverment offices across the province.
Punjab banned all public gatherings under Section 144 of the CrPc.
Balochistan government banned public gatherings, suspended biometric attendance, limited activities and closed educational institutions.
