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Karachi, March 15, 2020 (PPI-OT): Eighteen more coronavirus cases surfaced in Sindh province on Sunday, taking the disease cases toll to 35, a top level meeting was told today. The revelation of the 18 new coronavirus cases were made in the 18th meeting of Taskforce on Coronavirus held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, Dr Azra Pechuho, Syed Nasir Shah, Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IGP Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahlwani, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, DG PDMA, representatives of airport services, civil aviation, FIA, 5 Corps, rangers and other officials.
In a briefing to the chief minister, it was revealed that 40 samples of pilgrims arrived at Sukkur Quarantine Center were tested in Karachi. Out of them, 13 samples were diagnosed as positive. The chief minister directed Commissioner Sukkur and Dr Bhatti of Gambat hospital to segregate the positive patients from the negative.
“Those who are being diagnosed as serious should be shifted to Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences,” he issued clear directives. The chief minister was told that apart from Sukkur, five more cases of coronavirus had been diagnosed. The three of them are linked to contacts to Saudi Arabia, another had pheumonia symptoms and diagnosed as coronavirus positive while the fifth one has come from Quetta with coronavirus symptoms.
The chief minister said that out of 293 suspects who came from Taftan to Sukkur Isolation Center, we have tested 40 samples, of them 13 had been diagnosed as positive and 250 were yet to be tested. He added that another batch of 661 pilgrims was expected to arrive on Tuesday. “This is serious situation and we all have to deal it accordingly,” he said.
The details of 21 cases are as follows: Eight have travel history of Syria, three have of Dubai, three of Iran and two of them have been cured, four have local transmission, two have travel history of Saudi Arabia and one patient came from Balochistan.
The chief minister was told that from Sukkur, 203 samples had landed in Karachi and the remaining 93 were on the way. The Sindh government has conducted 339 tests, excluding Sukkur and of them 318 declared as negative while 21 had been diagnosed as positive. At present, 20 suspects are in quarantine at their homes and all of them would be released by March 19, if found negative.
Presenting a daily report, secretary health said that 1874 cases of pneumonia had been reported by public sector hospitals while the private hospitals had shared the list of 702 patients. The government conducted the coronavirus test of those patients who had severe symptoms.
Airport: On Saturday, 4631 passengers landed at Jinnah Terminal, of them five were suspected cases, including one of Italy, one of Bermingham, one of Duabi and two of Jeddah.
CM VIST: Earlier, the chief minister along with his advisor on law visited a laboratory where coronavirus tests were conducted. He witnessed the testing process and provided them extra kits. He ordered provision of necessary machinery to enhance the capacity of the lab already working on testing of coronavirus samples. Prof Dr Bari of Indus Hospital briefed the chief minister about the process of testing the samples.
The chief minister just after the lab went to JPMC where he visited a newly established isolation wards where some patients were under treatment. Executive Director at JPMC briefed the chief minister about the arrangements she had made in the isolation ward. She complained of shortage of ventilators. The chief minister directed the chief secretary on phone to provide ventilators to JPMC and make their isolation center functional at its full capacity.
Message: The chief minister giving a message to public said: “If you develop cough, fever, body ache or shortness of breath, immediately make a call to Corona Virus Control Room at 021-99204452, 021-99206565 or 0316-0111712.
New Isolation Center: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed commissioner Karachi to convert the flats of labour department as Isolation Center in Karachi. Similarly, the labour department apartments are being converted into Isolation Centers at Nooriabad, Kotri, Hyderabad, and Shaheed Benazirabad. The chief minister released Rs150 million for the purpose. He directed Indus hospital to provide ventilators and other necessary equipments to the new centers.
For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk