Daily Times

Pakistan reported its first deaths on Wednesday as tally of confirmed coronavirus cases jumped to 301 on Wednesday, with new cases emerging in Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

KP Health Minister Taimur Jhagra confirmed that a man in Mardan, who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, has passed away. “Sad to report one patient who passed away in Mardan,” the minister posted on his Twitter handle.

The patient was a 50-year-old man and was being treated at Mardan Medical Complex (MMC). According to MMC Medical Superintendent Dr Javed Iqbal, the patient had recently returned from Saudi Arabia and his results had been received earlier in the day.

Hours later, a second patient died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from coronavirus. The latest fatality was a 36-year-old patient from Hangu, who was being treated at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital. “Sadly, a second patient in LRH Peshawar, a 36 yr old, from Hangu, has also passed away, from the Corona Virus,” the minister tweeted.

Earlier, the Gilgit-Baltistan government denied a novel coronavirus death minutes after reporting it on Wednesday. The GB home secretary denied the death report after the government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed it, saying the patient belonged to Bunar area of Diamer district.

According to GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq, the deceased was a 90-year-old man. He was a resident of Chilas and had been under treatment at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Gilgit for the past four days. Faraq said that the man had no travel history, indicating that it was a case of secondary transmission. However, in a subsequent statement, Firaq said a report from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi, showed that the deceased, in fact, did not have COVID-19. He said the patient died from pneumonia.

Azad Kashmir also reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on Wednesday. The patient is a 45-year-old man who arrived in Mirpur from the Taftan border three days ago. He is from Palandri and had travelled to Iran. He arrived in Kashmir and was immediately isolated at a hospital in Mirpur city along with eight other travelers. They were all tested and his was the only one to come back positive. AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider said that the patient is being kept in isolation and his condition is satisfactory.

Of 296 coronavirus cases confirmed so far, 208 are from Sindh, 33 in Punjab, 23 in Balochistan, 19 in KP, 16 in AJK and GB, and two in Islamabad.

Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman on Wednesday announced new social restrictions. He said local tourists will be barred from visiting the region for three weeks while foreign tourists will be allowed to enter after certification.

All markets in the region will be closed from March 21, he announced. He alleged that the number of cases in GB has risen due to ‘poor arrangements’ in Balochistan, where pilgrims entered from Iran.

A meeting chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan announced several restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus. According to the new measures, groceries and pharmacies will remain open 24/7 while all other shops will open at 10am and close at 7pm. All restaurants will remain closed till April 5; home delivery and takeaway will be allowed; barbershops and beauty parlours will remain closed for 15 days; all private ceremonies in homes and closed compounds will be banned; government offices will remain functional between 10am and 4pm Mondays-Thursdays, and will close at 12pm on Fridays; all official meetings of more than five people will be suspended; all tourist spots in KP will be vacated; and offices of all ministers, advisers and special assistants will be closed except health minister and information adviser.

The Senate Secretariat also issued an office order detailing precautions to control the spread of coronavirus. It says: employees above 50 or those who have pre-existing conditions such as heart problems or diabetes are exempted from coming to office; all secretaries and section officers will work in rotations; all non-essential employees are exempted from coming to office; office timings will be from 9am to 2pm.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has decided to establish a Rs 3 billion fund to boost efforts to deal with coronavirus.

Provincial government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said during a press conference that the chief minister, members of his cabinet and all PPP MPAs have decided to donate one-month salary to the coronavirus fund. He added that provincial bureaucrats at all levels will also donate one-month salary. A five-member committee comprising the chief minister, the finance secretary and three members of civil society including Mushtaq Chhapra and Dr Abdul Bari Khan will supervise spending from the account.