Bilawal House Karachi staffers told to get tested for coronavirus: sources

KARACHI: Former president and PPP co-chairperson, Asif Ali Zardari, has ordered the staff of Bilawal House in Karachi to get themselves checked for the novel coronavirus, Geo News reported late Tuesday citing sources.

According to the sources, the new directives came after an aide of PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari contracted COVID-19. They noted that as per the new orders, no member of the Bilawal House Karachi staff would be allowed inside the premises until they underwent a coronavirus PCR test.

The employees who were advised to check if they had contracted COVID-19 included the security personnel as well, sources at the Bilawal House Karachi said.

The development comes as Bilawal's political secretary, Jameel Soomro, tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Soomro confirmed to Geo News that he had indeed contracted COVID-19. "I got tested after returning from Gilgit and the result came back positive," he said.

A spokesperson for the Bilawal House Karachi said the PPP boss had also given a sample for his test as well, the report of which was expected tomorrow.

Bilawal Bhutto has gone into self-isolation as a precaution, the spokesperson added.