Engro office in Karachi shut down after employee diagnosed with coronavirus

KARACHI: Engro Corporation on Tuesday closed its Harbour Front office after one of its employees contracted coronavirus (COVID-19), a day after nine new cases of the epidemic were reported in the metropolis. 

A statement from the corporation stated that at 01:00pm on Tuesday, an employee who worked at the eighth floor office of the building was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

The statement further said that the employee was last in the office for a few hours on Friday, March 6, 2020. The organisation said it had decided to shut its offices for three days "on medical advice from our doctor and in consultation with relevant experts".

"Only as a precautionary measure, all Engro offices at The Harbour Front Building shall remain closed over the next three days. with business to resume on Monday. March 16, 2020," read the statement.

The organisation told its employees to work from home for the next three days and stated that upon their return, will be screened for the novel infection.

Our doctor advises that all employees monitor their health over the next two weeks and, should any flu-like symptoms be felt or observed. they should consult their doctors for medical advice," read the statement.

Sindh reports two more coronavirus cases

The Sindh health department confirmed on Tuesday that two new coronavirus cases emerged from Sindh, one person was diagnosed in Hyderabad while the other is an employee of Engro Corporation in Karachi. 

"#Sindh Health Department has 2 new cases of #CoronaVirusPakistan The first case is from Hyderabad & the patient arrived from Syria via Doha. The second case is from Karachi & the patient arrived from Iran via Dubai. This brings the total number of cases to 15 in Sindh," wrote the media coordinator for the Sindh health department.

The development comes a day after nine new cases of the novel virus were reported in Karachi. After the emergence of the two new cases of the pandemic in Pakistan, the total number of people who have contracted the infection has jumped to 18.

A spokesperson for the provincial health department said Monday six of the new patients had returned to Pakistan from Syria via Doha, Qatar, while the other three arrived from London via Dubai. Of them, a 53-year-old man — a resident of Karachi — was shifted to a quarantine facility alongside his family.