Four suspected of having coronavirus test negative in Sindh

KARACHI: Eight of the people that Sindh's latest coronavirus patient had contact with have been screened, while nearly 19 remain, the provincial task force on coronavirus was informed on Monday.

Four suspected of having contracted coronavirus tested negative today, provincial secretary health Zahid Abbasi informed the meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah.

The meeting was attended by provincial health minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Adviser to CM on Law, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Inspector General Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Adl Chief Secretary Home Usman Chachar, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, representatives of Corps 5, Rangers, FIA, Airport Services, Civil Aviation, WHO, Aga Khan Hospital, Indus Hospital and other concerned institutions.

The chief minister has directed all  government and private hospitals to share the record of all patients who visited them with symptoms of pneumonia so that their further medical investigations could be made to contain the coronavirus.

Chachar said that the federal government is distributing health card/travel declaration among passengers on international flights coming to Karachi. The passenger has to record their travel history in the last 14 days in the declaration.

To a question, the chief minister was told that three patients of coronavirus were under treatment; of them two have recovered while the third one’s recovery has been slow.

It was pointed out that so far 135 tests have been conducted in Sindh. Of them, four have been diagnosed as positive and 112 declared as negative. At present, 230 pilgrims have been kept in quarantine. Of them, 63 will complete the isolation period on March 10, 25 on March 11 and 34 on March 12.

The chief minister was told that 59 suspects who had travelled with four coronavirus patients of Sindh have been traced and their list have been shared with all the deputy commissioners for contacting them and conducting their necessary medical investigations.