Zubair Yaqoob /
Tariq Saeed
Karachi/Peshawar
Provincial authorities in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday confirmed 76 and 15 new cases of novel coronavirus respectively, pushing the total number of confirmed cases in Pakistan to 136.
This is the single largest increase in novel coronavirus cases in the country.
Sindh Health Minister Azra Fazal Pechuho said with the 15 new cases, the provincial tally has soared to 103.
There are 88 confirmed cases in Sukkur (all patients arrive from Taftan border), 26 in Karachi and one in Hyderabad confirmed.
In a tweet, Advisor to Sindh chief minister on Information Murtaza Wahab said another 11 people who have reached the province from Taftan have tested positive. “So the total patients affected by coronavirus has reached 88 now. All these patients are being kept in isolation.”
Out of the 88 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sindh, 61 are from Taftan, 26 from the provincial capital of Karachi and one from Hyderabad. However, confusion remains as there is no provincial focal person to give a tally of confirmed cases in Sindh. The number of total cases may be revised as facts become clearer.
Meanwhile, for the first time the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 15 cases of the Novel Corona virus on Monday.Nineteen individuals who arrived in the KP province via the Taftan border crossing were tested on Monday. KP Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra confirmed that of those 19 individuals, 15 tested positive for the virus. Jhagra said these patients were being well looked after at a quarantine facility in Dera Ismail Khan.
“Just received the news that 15 of 19 individuals received in KP from Taftan have tested positive for Corona Virus. These are the first positive cases in KP. They are being well looked after in quarantine in an isolated facility in DI Khan”. The KP health minister said in a message posted on his twitter account. He said all of them have returned after spending time at Taftan’s quarantine facility. “They are being well looked after in quarantine in an isolated facility in DI Khan. More details soon,” he added. By March 11, the number of quarantined pilgrims in Taftan rose to 4,000 – out of which 2,000 belonged to Sindh. The quarantined individuals were placed in a tent city set up by the Balochistan overnment for Pakistani
He said that pilgrims from Taftan were quarantined after which they were sent back to their respective provinces through a systematic process. Dr Mirza said that the provinces, taking a wise decision, decided to conduct tests of the pilgrims again. “During the retests, positive cases of the coronavirus were received,” he said.
“We need to look at the number through broader picture and compare it with other countries,” he said while briefing the media about the National Coordination Committee meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad earlier in the day.
He urged people not to panic due to the rise in number of coronavirus cases but to think logically. Dr Mirza assured people that the government was keeping a keen eye on the issue and was taking effective steps to contain the virus. Dr Mirza said that the health ministry had sought the help of Rangers who will assist in the screening process at three airports in the country. He praised screening methods in the country but said that there was always the possibility of a person escaping the screening process.
“Normally, when you have passengers from two to three international flights, a rush ensues and some people escape the process,” he said. The prime minister’s aide revealed that 14 laboratories throughout the country were testing for the coronavirus. “We were among the first countries in the world who got the coronavirus testing kits. This helped us a lot,” he said.
He said that people who suffer from the common cold should not get themselves tested. “This testing is not so that we can get our doubts cleared as to whether we have the virus or not,” he said. “If we were to test everyone who sneezed or coughed, our kits will be exhausted.”
Dr Mirza said that those people who recently came from abroad should be tested for the virus. “However, if you have returned from abroad and if you’re suffering from fever, coughing or having difficulty in breathing, then you need to get tested,” he said. Dr Mirza said that those people whose relatives went abroad and they showed symptoms of coughing, fever or difficulty in breathing then they should also get tested as they might have come into contact with them. “If you do not have a travel history or the person you came into contact with does not have a travel history, then please don’t go for testing,” he said.
