PIA CEO orders to convert Karachi airport hotel into quarantine centre

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arshad Malik on Friday ordered to convert Karachi airport hotel into quarantine centre in the fight against novel coronavirus, ARY News reported.

As per details, the PIA CEO ordered after NDMA requested to made quarantine centre at PIA airport hotel adjacent to Jinnah International Airport for the coronavirus patients arriving from abroad.

The move comes after Pakistan reported its third coronavirus death and surge in the cases of COVID-19.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday had asked provinces to convert all 3-4 star hotels in to quarantine centres in fight against COVID-19.

According to sources, the NDMA had written a letter to the federal interior secretary and all four provincial chief secretaries in this regard.

In the letter, the NDMA has said it is necessary to take preventative measures against the coronavirus as per the WHO guidelines.

Pakistan on Friday reported its third coronavirus death as 77-year-old patient passed away in Karachi due to COVID-19, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho confirmed.

Sindh health minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho in a video statement said the patient was a cancer survivor and had diabetes and hypertension but did not have any travel history.

Gilgit-Baltistan reported new cases of the novel coronavirus today, pushing the total number of COVID-19 patients to 462 in Pakistan.

There are 245 confirmed cases in Sindh, Balochistan 81, Punjab 80, K-P 23, Gilgit-Baltistan 21, Islamabad five and Azad Jammu and Kashmir one.