Sindh govt to establish coronavirus field hospital at Karachi Expo Centre  

KARACHI: Sindh government has started preparations to establish a field hospital at Expo Centre in Karachi, ARY NEWS reported citing sources as coronavirus tally of the city reached 57 cases.

The chief minister directed the Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani to start purchasing beds and other medical equipments needed to establish a field hospital at the expo centre after the federal government approved the plan.

The commissioner has sought permission from the federal commerce ministry- as the facility is owned by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP)- to utilize the large covered area for establishing a field hospital aimed at treating the patients suffering from the virus in case of an outbreak in the city.

“The federal authorities approved the suggestion given by the provincial authorities,” he said.

Earlier on Tuesday (Yesterday), the provincial government ordered closure of restaurants and shopping malls across the province for 15 days in an effort to curb the spread of the infection.

All restaurants, malls, shopping centres, and parks will remain closed for 15 days from tomorrow, a spokesperson for the government said.

The government has directed K-Electric to ensure uninterrupted power supply during what can be dubbed a partial lockdown in the port city.

However, the spokesman said, all grocery and medical stores can remain open round the clock. Takeaways and deliveries will be allowed.

Vegetable, fruit, fish and chicken markets will also remain open across the province.

Announcing a string of new measures to combat the disease, CM Murad Ali Shah said there is a serious need to prevent the coronavirus spreading, expressing fears that if the COVID-19 spreads, the province’s health infrastructure won’t be able to cope with the influx of patients.