Ag APP
GILGIT/LAHORE/PESHAWAR: Pakistan witnessed its first coronavirus deaths on Wednesday after two patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa succumbed to the disease, as the number of confirmed infections nationwide shot up to 304.
The first patient’s death was first announced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Jhagra and later confirmed by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza. Jhagra said in a tweet: “Sad to report one patient who passed away in Mardan.”
The KP health minister later told Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath that the deceased had arrived in Pakistan from Saudi Arabia on March 8, and began exhibiting symptoms on March 16.
Mirza said the patient was a 50-year-old man, who developed fever, cough and breathing difficulties and tested positive for the virus. “Contacts are being screened. Our condolences to the family,” he added.
Shortly afterwards, Jhagra announced a second death in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a tweet. He said the second patient died in Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital. The deceased was 36, and a resident of Hangu.
The KP health minister then said: “A long day and a sad night. We have lost two human lives to a challenge the likes of which I have not seen in my life. And yet we must overcome. Can I request for the every influencer, and everyone in the media, to prevail upon the public to do the right thing?
“There will be time to discuss which province beat the other. And to analyse every decision everyone has made. But today, none of that analysis will help the people of Pakistan do what they need to. Stay at home if you can. Protect the elderly. It’s time to show leadership. We are better than this.”
Earlier, Gilgit-Baltistan government Spokesman Faizullah Faraq said in a statement that a 90-year-old patient in the territory had died. But this was refuted by the Prime Minister’s aide on health Dr Zafar Mirza in a tweet. “I can confirm that until now there is no corona related death in Pakistan.” He added that the coronavirus test of the patient was negative. The Gilgit-Baltistan government later retracted the statement.
This came as the country’s coronavirus cases climbed to 304, as the infections in Sindh reached 208, Punjab 33, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 19, Balochistan 23, and Islamabad 7, Gilgit-Baltistan 13, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir reported its first case.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting of provincial apex committee at his office on Wednesday to review steps to deal with coronavirus threat. The meeting reviewed the steps being taken to deal with coronavirus, as well as the future road map and decided to effectively implement an action plan against coronavirus. Following the meeting, Buzdar announced a five-billion-rupee fund to stop the spread of the virus in the province.
Speaking to the media, Buzdar said he visited a quarantine centre, reviewed all necessities there, and was briefed on the latest developments.
The chief minister said the Punjab government “first took up the corona [virus] issue on January 3 and we immediately set up a control room in our health department, as well as a cabinet committee that monitors [the situation] on a daily basis”.
He added that the Punjab government closed down tourist destinations, including Murree, and limited visits for people at public offices. “Only skeleton staff will be present there,” he added.
Shopping malls, restaurants, and hotels were to be closed in the province by 10pm, while pharmacies, grocery stores, factories, mills, and markets would remain open with no restrictions, Buzdar added. Earlier, a public health emergency was declared in Punjab and Section 144 imposed.
With regard to strategic measures, Buzdar said the provincial government has requested the federal government to help improve quarantine facilities. In that regard, Punjab “will provide support wherever required and even to any other province if they need it”.
He added: “We will negotiate with the Balochistan government on Taftan as to whether we should set up our camp [there] or facilitate them, but we will do whatever we can for our people at the border.”
Shortly after Buzdar’s address, the government of Punjab tweeted that mobility in markets would be controlled by various measures, work from home and social safety measures introduced, and that “quarantines for 5,000 patients is ready”.
Later, Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Dera Ghazi Khan to oversee arrangements aimed at controlling Covid-19. The Prime Minister was given a briefing over the measures to check the spread of the pandemic and the quarantine measures.
Aside from Buzdar and Mirza, National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lt-Gen Mohammad Afzal, Special Assistant Moeed Yusuf and Dr Shahbaz Gill were present.
