ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday announced to temporarily suspend all international flights as part of measures to contain the potential spread of coronavirus in the country.
A spokesperson for the national flag-carrier said that the decision will become effective at 08:00 PM on Mar 21 and international flights will resume on Mar 28.
Meanwhile, Karachi airport administration has started screening passengers on domestic flights. The travelers will have to go through screening procedures before boarding and after disembarking from the flights.
International flights will also be properly disinfected.
Earlier, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed announced to stop 34 trains until the 15th of Ramazan as the number of people traveling has reduced drastically amid coronavirus outbreak.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Rasheed said that some 12 trains – including Khushal, Shah Latif and Ravi Express – will stop running from Sunday, while the rest of the 34 trains will stop working from midnight on Mar 24.
The minister urged people to not travel unless necessary and said that no employees of the Railways department will be fired during this time.
VIRUS TOLL RISES
Sindh Health Department Spokesperson Meeran Yousuf on Saturday announced 14 new coronavirus cases, taking the provincial tally to 267.
With the emergence of new cases, Pakistan’s total coronavirus cases currently stand at 512.
Source: Government figures
In Punjab, no new cases were reported till noon today.
Provincial Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Captain (r) Mohammad Usman announced that 127,000 face masks are being produced in the province every day. He added that 50,000 masks are being produced in Lahore, 40,000 in Rawalpindi and 20,000 in Faisalabad respectively along with other cities in the province.
Usman added that the department is also working on increasing the supply of sanitisers and people would soon hear “good news”.
In a related development, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has convened the first meeting of its Crisis Management Committee (CMC) on Mar 24.
According to the notification issued by the LHC registrar, the meeting will be presided over by LHC Chief Justice Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh.
IMRAN RULES OUT LOCKDOWN FOR NOW
A day earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed the hope that Pakistan’s “hot and dry” weather will help to mitigate the coronavirus outbreak, urging citizens to exercise social distancing and self-discipline, as the first coronavirus patient died in Karachi.
The prime minister, while speaking to a small group of journalists, ruled out a complete lockdown in the country as a measure to contain the outbreak, adding that Centre “might consider a nationwide lockdown if things get out of hand”.
“It is very important that those who show symptoms of coronavirus must go into self-quarantine,” he said, adding that people should avoid social gatherings for the next two months.
“We can manage the outbreak. There is a difference of opinion, but some doctors say that the type of heat Pakistan experiences, that makes the virus lose its effectiveness to spread,” he said.
The prime minister said that the situation is being monitored and tracked on a daily basis and Pakistan is learning from the experience of various countries, especially China, to tackle this menace.
He said that the government is fully alert to the threat and it has been decided that all federal ministers will be available in Islamabad during the crisis and nobody would go on leave. He also said that he will update the people about the coronavirus situation twice a week. He added that no information will be withheld from the people so that prompt action can be taken.
Dispelling the impression created by some media channels on the steps taken by the federal government in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, the prime minister said that the government was in constant contact with the Chinese government since the first case of coronavirus emerged in the country.
“When cases were traced in Iran, we also started communicating with Tehran regarding the situation,” he added.
