Two more coronavirus cases surface in Sindh, tally jumps to 18 in Pakistan

KARACHI: Two more confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) surfaced in Sindh, revealed the Sindh Health Department on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department said that one confirmed case of coronavirus has been reported in Hyderabad while the other case emerged in the provincial capital.

The person who tested positive for the disease in Hyderabad had flown back from Syria via Doha, while the Karachi coronavirus patient had returned from Dubai.

The spokesperson said that family members and other relatives of both new coronavirus patients are being screened for the deadly coronavirus.

The health official said that the number of persons who have contracted the coronavirus in Sindh have risen to 15. One patient has successfully recovered and has been sent home.

Thus far, 18 people have been tested positive for the virus in the country.

Earlier on Monday, nine new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) surfaced in Karachi. A spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department said five of the eight people who tested positive for the disease had flown back from Syria via Doha while the rest had returned from London via Dubai.

CM Murad’s brother-in-law tested positive

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s brother-in-law has also tested positive for coronavirus. According to details, CM Murad’s close relative Syed Mehdi Shah had travelled to Iran and came back to Pakistan two days ago.

Syed Mehdi Ali Shah was admitted to an isolation ward of a private hospital.

Longer shutdown of schools

An emergency meeting of the provincial health department on Tuesday recommended closure of educational institutions to the Chief Minister of Sindh amid emergence of nine new cases of novel coronavirus in Karachi.

The meeting chaired by Health Minister of Sindh Azra Pechuho has also decided to issue an advisory for ban on gathering at public places and immediately setting up coronavirus information desks at all hospitals across the province.

The health officials meeting which was attended by representatives of the health ministry, district health officers (DHOs) and representatives of major hospitals in the province, also decided to issue an advisory today for 14 days local quarantine.

Public entry banned 

Sindh’s Health department on Tuesday banned the entry of general public in the offices of the department, situated at Sindh Secretariat building, as preventive measure to deal with the novel coronavirus.

In a notification issued on Tuesday, general public has been barred from entering the Sindh Health Department offices, located at the Sindh Secretariat building.

Only staff of the department will be allowed to enter the offices.