No suspect of COVID-19 in Rawalpindi so far

Rawalpindi : None of the healthcare facilities including the three teaching hospitals in town including Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital along with Coronavirus Care Centre established at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology has received any suspect of disease caused by coronavirus (COVID-19) so far though a total of 59 persons having link with either China or Iran were under quarantine at home.

As many as 49 persons have completed 14-day quarantine period. Majority of the persons were studying in China, the most affected country by the novel coronavirus 2019. They were kept in quarantine at their homes in the district and the teams of district health department were monitoring their health on regular basis.

According to a senior health official at the district health department, another 10 persons are under observation though they have also been under quarantine at their homes. Pleading anonymity, the official informed ‘The News’ that the persons who are still under quarantine have reached Pakistan from Iran after pilgrimage (Ziaraat).

It is important that the novel coronavirus that was identified in Wuhan city, Hubei Province of China on 9th January 2020 with more than 200 confirmed human infections and at least two deaths has so far claimed a total of 3522 lives around the globe while infected a total of 103738 persons including 80651 in China till Saturday evening. After China, the most affected country in the world with 3070 deaths by COVID-19, Italy stands at number two with 197 deaths and Iran at number three with 145 deaths till Saturday.

We have received a number of persons (zaireen) from Iran though most of them stayed in the district for not more than few hours, said the health department’s official while talking to ‘The News’.

He said the health department is keeping under observation the persons who are staying in the district after returning from affected countries. We have been working in close coordination with authorities working on screening at international entry points, he said.