21/03/2020
21/03/2020
ISLAMABAD, March 21 (KUNA) -- Pakistan on Saturday has decided to suspend all international flights arriving in the country for two weeks as the nationwide tally of coronavirus cases reached 666 with three fatalities.
The travel restrictions will be effective from tonight and until April 4, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Division Dr. Moeed Yousaf.
However, the flights carrying diplomats and cargo ships will continue their operations during the said period, he said at a joint press conference with Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr. Zafar Mirza.
On his part, Dr. Mirza confirmed that there are 4,046 suspected cases in Pakistan.
In the last 24 hours, 13,991 people have been screened from all entry points in the country, adding that 3,083 pilgrims from Taftan town in Chagai District, Balochistan, Pakistan, were quarantined today.
Dr. Mirza reassured that measures have been taken to contain the virus, including 14 labs that have been established across the country, to test Covid-19 patients.
The nationwide tally of COVID-19 patients has crossed 666 with 357 cases in Sindh; 104 in Balochistan; 137 in Punjab; 27 in K-P; 30 in Gilgit-Baltistan; 10 in Islamabad; and one in Pakistan administered Kashmir.
Provincial Health Minister of southern Sindh province, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho on Saturday has confirmed 90 new cases in the province, raising total number of cases to 357.
She said that the provincial health department has conducted up to 2,700 tests for COVID-19 so far in the province.
"Out of these tests we have had 101 positive cases from Karachi, one positive case from Hyderabad and 255 cases from pilgrims from Iran, who are kept in the isolation facility in Sukkur," she said.
Three patients have been cured and discharged so far.
Another increase in the number of cases was reported from southwestern Balochistan province, with the total number of coronavirus cases in the province reaching 104 as the provincial chief secretary confirmed 12 additional cases.
The total tally in eastern Punjab province rise to 137 with 20 cases in Lahore city, 106 are in Dera Ghazi Khan, four in Gujranwala, one in Rawalpindi, one in Multan and two in Jhelum.
Two new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, taking the provincial total to 27.
According to the health department, one of the cases has a foreign travel history while the other is a case of local transmission.
The government of Pakistan administered Kashmir has announced complete suspension of inter-provincial transport for three days beginning as a preventive measure to stop the spread of coronavirus.