Daily Times

As one more coronavirus case emerged in the Sindh province, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah under a policy decision, ordered closure of all the shrines, marriage lawns and cinema halls for three weeks while educational process in seminaries & training institutions, marriage functions in clubs and public gatherings, including urs of saints, would also remain suspended for till April 5.

He directed Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to take lead in developing taluka-wise data of the families so that in case of any emergency such as lockdown people could be reached for their food, medicines and other related supplies and help.

He issued these directives while presiding over two different meetings of the 17thTasforce on Coronavirus and Disaster Management Authority here at CM House. The meeting was attended by Minister Health Dr Azra Pechuho, Minister Information Nasir Shah, Advisor for Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IGP Sindh Mushtaq Maher, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi and other officials.

The chief minister said that as the novel coronavirus had become a pandemic; therefore, his government had no option but to take drastic measures to control it so as to save the people.

“It is high time to close the cinemas, marriage lawns, shrines and urs program being observed there and even we can’t allow marriage function at clubs,” he said and added “Yes, people can hold marriage programmes at a limited level at their homes.”

Shah directed the chief secretary to issue notification for imposing a ban on such gatherings. “I am sure people of this province will strengthen my hands in containing coronavirus,” he said and added “as and when situation is improved, we would reverse our decisions of banning social and religious gatherings.”

Commissioner Sukkur briefing: As many as 293 pilgrims in seven buses have reached Sukkur and all of them have been taken to isolation center where their medical checkup and others tests were being conducted. At this, the chief minister directed Commissioner Sukkur to collect samples of all the 293 pilgrims and send them to Karachi for test. He added since there was no testing facility at Sukkur; therefore, he sent his helicopter to Sukkur to airlift the samples of 293 pilgrims arrived there from Taftan. These samples would be tested at Aga Khan, Indus and Ojha hospitals.

The chief minister also directed Commissioner Sukkur to develop data of all the pilgrims so that their collective addresses could be recorded for the future strategy.

He also directed the commissioner to install TV sets in the rooms of the pilgrims in isolation center so that they could not feel actual isolation but they must have the feeling of being looked after properly.

Shah told the commissioner that another batch of 648 pilgrims were ready to leave Taftan for Sukkur; therefore, their accommodation arrangements should be made accordingly. Shah also requested World Health Organisation to send its expert along with the experts of Aga Khan and Indus Hospital to Sukkur to inspect the facilities. “I am sparing my jet and it would fly back to Karachi in a day,” the chief minister told the WHO and others.

One New case: Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi told the chief minister that a new case of coronavirus had been diagnosed on Saturday afternoon. The patient has travel history and came from Saudi Arabia to Karachi. With this emergence of new case, the number of patients has reached 16.

There are 16 cases in Sindh, of them only one was locally transmitted. At this, the chief minister said that this was very dangerous. “This is why I am continuously pursuing the matter to contain coronavirus,” he said and added this was why he was banning all kind of social, political and religious gatherings all over Sindh.

The chief minister was told that 26 samples had been sent for lab test and their results were awaited. Sindh health department has conducted 282 tests, out them 267 had been declared as negative while 16 had been diagnosed as positive.

At present, 31 pilgrims have been put in quarantine at their homes, of them 11 would complete their isolation period on March 18, two on March 16, five in March 17 and 12 on March 12.

Secretary Health told the chief minister that 3300 passengers landed at Jinnah Terminal till late evening of Friday. Out of 3300 passengers, seven were deemed as suspects and they had been kept in quarantine and their samples had also been taken for lab test.

WB Support: Sindh Chief Minister said that despite financial constraints, he was providing necessary funds to the hospitals for developing isolation centers and quarantine facilities in every district of the province.

He said that the World Bank had agreed to divert its $10 million fund of its Sindh Resilience Project to Coroanvirus Support Programme being launched by Sindh government. He directed the chief secretary to utilize the amount for purchase of necessary equipments such as ventilators, oxygen cylinders, beds and other gadgets. It was also pointed out that $25 million were being made available by the World Bank to contain coronavirus in Sindh.