Coronavirus: PIA’s China flight operations to remain suspended till March 31

National carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday announced it was extending the flight suspension to China till March 31, reported Geo News.

Last month, the national flag carrier had announced the suspension of flights till March 15, however, the date was extended as the virus spread to more countries.

According to Geo News, a PIA spokesperson said the decision to extend or end the flight suspension will be taken at the end of the current month.

On February 27, Pakistan also suspended Iran flight operations after two cases of the pandemic were confirmed in the country from travellers who had been to Iran recently.

Pakistan on Tuesday confirmed its fifth case of coronavirus amid strict safety measures to contain the spread in the country. Two cases of novel coronavirus have been reported from Karachi, two from federal areas and one from Islamabad.

All of the patients had travelled to Iran where at least 92 people have died from the virus including senior government functionaries with over 2,922, confirmed cases.

Thermal scanners upgraded at airports

On Sunday Special Assistant to PM on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza had said new and upgraded thermal scanners have been installed at major airports around the country.

“New and upgraded thermo scanners are now installed in major airports around Pakistan. This will further improve the efficiency of our port of entries and first line of defense against coronavirus,” Zafar tweeted.

Death toll from coronavirus surpasses 3,000

More than 95,000 people have been infected and over 3,200 have died worldwide from the virus, which has now reached some 80 countries and territories, according to an AFP tally.

Almost 300 million students worldwide faced weeks at home on Thursday with Italy the latest country to shut schools over the deadly new coronavirus, as the IMF urged an all-out global offensive against the epidemic.

Nearly 6,000 have been infected in South Korea — the largest outside China, where the disease first emerged in December last year.

Death toll from the epidemic climbed to 11 in United States on Wednesday as the state of California reported its first fatality. This was the first coronavirus fatality in the US outside of Washington state, where 10 people have died.