Two more COVID-19 cases appear in Sindh

KARACHI: Authorities in Sindh on Tuesday announced that two more persons, one from Hyderabad and the other from Karachi, had been tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total number of positive cases in Sindh to 15 and 19 in the country, saying one of the patients had recovered completely and discharged from the hospital after treatment.

“In Sindh we have two new cases of coronavirus. Today’s first case is from Hyderabad and the patient arrived from Syria via Doha. The second case is from Karachi and the patient arrived from Iran via Dubai. The department is in the process of tracking all the contacts down for further testing.

This brings the total number of cases to 15 in Sindh out of which one has been cured and discharged," Spokeswoman for the Sindh Health Department Meeran Yousuf said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that cases in Pakistan have more than doubled in last 24 hours. This is not surprising. Disease has spread in 106 countries. All 19 cases have brought this from abroad. All are stable. There is no evidence of local spread as yet. If we act responsibly we can avoid spread.

The most important to limit the spread of coronavirus is to ensure that we observe hygiene by washing hands properly, avoid touching our face & keep distance with sick people. The government is working hard to contain the spread, but we all need to take our part in this fight.

Meanwhile, the Sindh provincial government has announced that all the remaining matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL) would be held in Karachi as per schedule from Thursday, March 12 and decided to take all precautionary and preventive measures to contain the spread of virus among the spectators and common people.

As far as educational institutes are concerned, which are to be opened from Monday, March 16 all over the province, no further closure was announced on Tuesday and the education department was asked to keep monitoring the situation and, if required, any decision could be taken by the end of this week. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over the daily meeting of Taskforce on Coronavirus and said in Sindh 15 cases of coronavirus had so far been diagnosed as positive and all the cases were imported and none of them was indigenous.

“It means we will have to be more cautious in checking passengers coming from Iran, Afghanistan, Italy and such other countries at the airport and the suspect(s), if any, must be quarantined there instead of bringing him/ her to the city.”

The 13th meeting was attended by Minister of Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, Adviser Law Murtaza Wahab, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IGP Sindh Ghulam Nabi Mahar, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shalwani, Secretary Home Usman Chachar, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, DG PDMA Salman Shah, representatives of Corps 5, Rangers, FIA, airport services, civil aviation, WHO, Aga Khan Hospital and Indus Hospital.

The chief minister was told that during the last two days i.e. Monday and Tuesday, as many as 19 samples were tested, of them nine were diagnosed as positive while 10 came negative. Thus, the number of cases in Sindh have come to 15, including 14 in Karachi and one in Hyderabad. Two more samples have been sent for lab test and their results were being awaited.

The meeting was told that all the 14 patients under treatment were stable and recovering. The health department has conducted 162 lab tests, of them 147 declared as negative while 15 diagnosed as positive. Two results are pending. The meeting was told that the first patient had recovered and returned home while the other one, who was a high risk case/patient of 67 years old, has also recovered and diagnosed as negative on Tuesday and he would be tested again tomorrow.

It was pointed out that 167 pilgrims were in quarantine at their homes. 25 of the quarantined pilgrims would complete their isolation on March 11, 34 on March 12, 66 on March 13 and likewise.

The chief minister said that everyday around 4,000 passengers land at the Karachi airport, therefore, arrangements for their screening must be made foolproof. He directed the chief secretary to talk to the federal government and request them to make quarantine arrangements at the airport for suspects of coronavirus. “I want none of the passengers with pneumonia or coronavirus symptoms be brought out of the airport and expose him/her to others,” he said.

The chief secretary told the chief minister that the health department has posted 32 professionals at the airport. He said he was doubling the health department staff at the airport so that every incoming passenger could be checked properly. On the instructions of the chief minister, the private hospitals shared the data of 691 patients and none of them was diagnosed as positive. This kind of data from private hospital would be pouring into the health department every day.

The meeting decided that health education and screening desk would be established at the Immigration Counters at Karachi Airport. The health department professionals, doctors/paramedical staff would be given special training by WHO. The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, taking another important decision, announced to hold the PSL matches in the city from March 12. The chief minister said the PSL matches were already scheduled in the city. He directed the chief secretary and IG Police to make necessary arrangements for organizing the PSL matches as per their schedule. “I want you to issue an advisory for the spectators,” he said.

The chief minister directed Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah and Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani to hold a meeting with PCB authorities and discuss all the precautionary measures. He urged them to install handwash sanitizer boxes at the stadium and issue advice for persons who have travel history of Iran not to visit the stadium. The commissioner and PCB authorities would work out a detailed precautionary plan in the light of the advisory the health department has already issued.