Prime Minister Imran Khan’s coronavirus test report came negative on Wednesday as the nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients jumped to 10,244, with 4,331 cases reported in Punjab, 3,373 in Sindh, 1,453 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 552 in Balochistan, 290 in Gilgit Baltistan, 194 in Islamabad and 51 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has claimed at least 212 lives so far while at least 2,156 coronavirus patients have recovered.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Wednesday announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s coronavirus test report was negative. “Prime Minister Imran Khan was tested today for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus strain that causes coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]). The test used was a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). I am happy to report that his test is negative,” she posted on her Twitter handle.
The daily situational report issued by the Punjab Health Department confirmed that total number of coronavirus patients has risen to 4,331 with 103 new cases across the province. The total cases include 768 pilgrims, 1,883 Tableeghi Jamaat members, 97 inmates and 1,683 ordinary citizens.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wednesday reported 107 new cases of the novel coronavirus. At least three more persons died from the virus in the province, taking the death toll in the province to 83.
Seven more cases of Covid-19 emerged in Gilgit-Baltistan, taking the region’s toll to 290. Four people tested positive for the coronavirus in Gilgit, two in Nagar and one in Astor.
The provincial health department in Balochistan also confirmed two more fatalities to bring the province’s coronavirus death toll to eight. Fresh cases rose the Covid-19 tally to 552, according to the daily situational reported share on Wednesday evening.
Dr Shahbaz Gill, a spokesperson for the federal government, has said that National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal has been tested negative for coronavirus.
Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital Wednesday banned media coverage on its premises after a journalist from a local channel tested positive for Covid-19, said Dr Khalid Masood, the hospital’s director. “The said journalist displayed symptoms of the virus and was tested, which came out positive. It is possible that we might test other members of the media team,” he said.
Former Balochistan MPA and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Sardar Mustafa Khan Tareen passed away a day after he tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Tareen was on a ventilator in a hospital in Quetta.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza Wednesday said that the next three or four weeks are ‘absolutely critical’ for Pakistan. He expressed disappointment that people in the country are not taking guidelines ‘seriously’. He urged people to follow guidelines and the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sindh Minister for Health Sindh Azra Fazal Pechuho Wednesday said that the coronavirus cases in the country can reach its peak in the month of May. She stressed that social distancing is incumbent in the coming days and any lapse in vigilance can be detrimental. She that there are strong indicators that coronavirus cases will spike significantly in the coming months.
