Collective efforts needed to combat coronavirus pandemic: Noorul Haq

ISLAMABAD: Urging the masses to adopt preventive measures against novel coronavirus, Minister for Religious Affairs Dr Noorul Haq Qadri on Tuesday said that collective efforts were needed to combat the pandemic, ARY News reported.

Talking to journalists, Noorul Haq Qadri urged all segments of the society to come forward and play its national role in combating coronavirus, adding that the government alone cannot do anything.

As part of preventive measure against the deadly virus, the government has postponed examination and announced vacations in seminaries, he added.

A person infected with the novel coronavirus should avoid mingling with other people, the minister said and added that the people should avoid shaking hands in the wake of the current situation.

Earlier in the day, five new cases of novel coronavirus had been emerged in Punjab, pushing the total number of cases in the country to 193.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmen Rashid had said that overall 42 tests had been conducted out of which five were reported positive.

“Overall 42 coronavirus tests of pilgrims arrived in Dera Ghazi Khan from Taftan were taken and out of which five were diagnosed with coronavirus,” Yasmin Rashid had said while addressing a press conference along with Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan.