Pakistan on Wednesday reported its first two casualties dueto the deadly coronavirus that has infected 301 people across the country.
“Sad to report one patient who passed away inMardan,” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra tweetedlate Wednesday night.
Within two hours after the tweet, Jhagra again announcedthat a second coronavirus death was also reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwaprovince.
The minister tweeted that the patient, a 36-year old personfrom Hangu district, died in a hospital in Peshawar.
The number of cases in the worst-hit Sindh province reachedto 208 on Wednesday after 19 people in Karachi tested positive, said MeeranYousuf, the media coordinator of the health and population welfare minister.She said the province recorded total 36 new cases on Wednesday.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said the number ofcoronavirus cases in his province rose to 33 on Wednesday.
“I can confirm that there are 33 confirmed #COVID19patients in Punjab. 20 quarantined in Dera Ghazi Khan tested positive &have been shifted to hospital. 6 patients in Lahore, 5 in Multan and 2 inGujrat are also under treatment,” he tweeted.
Majority of Pakistan’s COVID-19 cases are linked to thosewho went on pilgrimage to Iran, one of the countries hardest-hit by thedisease, while less than half a dozen are locally transmitted.
Pakistan shares a 960-kilometre border with Iran, with themain crossing point at Taftan in Balochistan province.
The Taftan border has been closed since March 16, butthousands of Pakistan Shia pilgrims who were visiting religious sites in Iranhave been allowed to return subject to two weeks’ quarantine.
More 10 cases were reported in Gilgit-Baltistan and itsChief Minister Hafeezur Rehman said that the total number of infection in theregion was 15.
Also, the first coronavirus case was reported fromPakistan-occupied Kashmir, where a 45-year old person who had recently comeback from Iran was found positive.
Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar also announced that therestaurants, hotels and shopping malls would be shut down by 10pm every day toreduce exposure. He also said that number of staff at offices will be reduced.
Already 19 cases were reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 16from Balochistan and 2 from Islamabad.
Authorities in Pakistan have screened over 1,015,900travellers since the virus was first detected in the country. At least 20,088travellers have been screened in the last 24 hours.
Sindh government has come out criticising Centre for lack offoresight in quarantine arrangements in Taftan where over 9,000 pilgrimsreturning from Iran had been quarantined by the Balochistan government in atent city’.
After completing the 14-day incubation period, the pilgrimswere allowed to travel back to their cities. However, Sindh and K-P sent thepilgrims to isolation facilities in Sukkur and Dera Ismail Khan and tested thembefore allowing further travel.
In its March 13 National Security Committee meeting, Centreformed a Novel Coronavirus Core Committee with daily meetings between federaland provincial authorities.