The COVID-19 spread in Pakistan continues to see a rapid spike with the national tally reaching 94. Sindh alone has reported 76 cases with two recoveries to date.
Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh on Law, Anti-Corruption Establishment, and information Murtaza Wahab has announced in a Tweet that the number of COVID-19 cases has reached 76 in the province.
The center and provincial governments are taking strong measures to curb the spread. The Sindh government has ordered all parks and public recreational facilities across the province to be shut. Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar also issued similar instructions for recreational facilities falling under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
Hostels of varsities across Punjab have also been converted into quarantine centers. Punjab has prohibited hoarding of sanitizers, public gatherings under Section 144. Pakistan International Airlines has also suspended flight operations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The country had already banned weddings & public gatherings and shut educational intuitions, western borders, and recreational places across the country among other measures a day before.
Here are the latest updates:
WATCH | Can You Tell Fact from Fiction When it Comes to COVID-19 Pandemic?
As COVID-19 continues to shake the world to its core, there is an information overload too. Amid the emerging sea of information, there’s also loads of misinformation that’s being spread causing undue fear and panic.
This short video will guide you on what to believe and what not to stay safe amid the outbreak.
12.50 pm | Ulema, Mashiekh Urge to Postpone all Religions Gatherings
Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri says the government is taking effective steps to tackle the issue of coronavirus.
In a video message, he said as Muslims we should turn to Allah with prayers, worship, and repentance and take the precautionary measures and course of treatments as it is Sunnah of Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Source: Radio Pakistan
12.30 pm | 1-8 Graders in Sindh to Be Promoted Without Exams
Sindh education department’s steering committee has instructed schools across the province to promote students of classes 1 to 8 to next grades without annual exams.
Schools will make the decision to promote students on the basis of their mid-term results. Private schools also have been ordered to follow the instructions.
12.00 pm | Where to Get Tested for Coronavirus in Pakistan?
Following the confirmation of coronavirus cases in Pakistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated 7 test centers at hospitals across the country, with the number of test labs now reaching 13 according to PM’s aide on health.
To learn about COVID-19 test centers and sample collection facilities in different cities of Pakistan, click here.
11.50 am | National Coordination Committee Meeting Underway
A National Coordination Committee meeting is underway right now in Islamabad.
PM Imran Khan is chairing the meeting with all provincial Chief Ministers participating via video link.
Dr. Zafar Mirza is to brief all provinces on the latest developments regarding COVID-19 outbreak at the meeting.
11.15 am | Islamabad Recreational Facilities to be Closed
Recreational facilities in Islamabad, including the F9 Park, Daman-e-Koh, Zoo and more may be closed for the public soon.
Authorities are also mulling shutting down the city’s shopping malls for at least two weeks.
10.30 am | Sindh Coronavirus Cases Jump to 76
Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh on Law, Anti-Corruption Establishment, and information Murtaza Wahab has announced in a Tweet that the number of COVID-19 cases has reached 76 in the province.
10.00 am | Hostels at Punjab Varsities Converted into Quarantines
Following the first case of COVID-19 in Punjab on Sunday, the provincial government moved to convert the hostels of all public-sector universities into quarantine facilities.
The hostel rooms were thoroughly cleaned before they could serve as quarantines is an emergency situation arises. Belongings of hostel dwellers were ordered to be properly tagged and kept in storerooms.
9.00 am | A Threat Like No Other
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called COVID-19 ‘a threat unlike any other in our lifetimes’.
‘We are in this together,’ he said, ‘and we will get through this together.’
2.00 am | PIA suspends flight operations between Pakistan and KSA
The national carrier has announced that it will be suspending all flight operations between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the next two weeks.
A PIA press statement informed that flights from Jeddah and Medina will continue till March 17 so that Umrah pilgrims can return to Pakistan.
For our coronavirus coverage from March 15, click here.
