KARACHI: Test results of 12 people — suspected of being infected with the coronavirus — came back negative, according to the spokesperson of the Sindh Health Department on Monday.
The health department official said that no further cases of the coronavirus had emerged. He said that only four cases of the pandemic had surfaced in Pakistan and all were being treated.
He disclosed that out of the two Karachi patients, one’s family had been cleared of the coronavirus while the other’s was being kept in observation.
The Sindh government on Sunday sprung into action to contain the virus, directing all public and private schools, colleges, universities, coaching centres and other educational institutions to remain closed till March 13.
Action was taken against educational institutions that refused the government’s order. Teams raided schools located in Karachi’s Landhi, Lyari, Korangi, Gulshan-e-Hadeed and other areas of the city. The officials have also requested the chairman board of secondary education to initiate action against the institutions.
The Sindh government has formed a taskforce to deal with the coronavirus after the number of cases reported in Pakistan jumped to four. Two of the cases were reported from Karachi.
“We have received reports of two more positive cases of coronavirus, one has been reported in Sindh province, (the) other in federal areas,” Dr Zafar Mirza, Pakistan’s health minister, had said during a press conference on Saturday.
Speaking about the two earlier cases of coronavirus in Pakistan, Dr Mirza had said there was no need to panic as both patients were getting better. “One of the patients will be discharged from the hospital quite soon,” he had said.
Dr Mirza had disclosed that the infection had spread to Pakistan after cases were first reported in 47 countries. He said that the disease had affected people in Pakistan last as the government had taken necessary precautions to constrain it.
