First death of Pakistani national from coronavirus reported in Italy

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office (FO) has confirmed the death of a Pakistani national from coronavirus in Italy who was residing in Milan city for many years, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The FO spokesperson said in a statement a Pakistani national infected with COVID-19 died in Italy’s Milan city. However, no further detail is given so far.

It added that the diplomatic officials are in contact with the Italian authorities to repatriate the body to the country.

It is the first death of a Pakistani national from the virus reported outside the country.

Earlier in the day, just hours after the dramatic new restrictions came into force, Italy’s health authorities announced the death toll had jumped by 168 to 631, the largest rise in absolute numbers since the contagion came to light on February 21.

Read: Second coronavirus case reported in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan’s tally rises to 20

Shops and restaurants closed, hundreds of flights were canceled and streets emptied across Italy on Tuesday, the first day of an unprecedented, nationwide lockdown imposed to slow Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus.

The total number of confirmed cases rose at a much slower rate than recently seen, hitting 10,149 against a previous 9,172, but officials warned that the region at the epicenter, Lombardy, had provided incomplete data.

The government has told all Italians to stay at home and avoid non-essential travel until April 3, radically widening steps already taken in much of the wealthy north, which is the epicenter of the spreading contagion.

In Pakistan, a new case of coronavirus reported in Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday, raising Pakistan’s tally of total confirmed cases to 20.

According to Gilgit Baltistan government spokesperson, a 14-year-old boy was diagnosed with novel coronavirus at a City Hospital in Skardu. The patient hails from Skardu.