KARACHI:Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has urged people of the province to observe next three days as ‘voluntarily isolation’ so that everyone could keep himself and herself safe and secure.
“During the next three days, the offices are completely closed, hotels are not offering dining, sports and gems are closed; therefore, there is no need to come onto the roads and streets and move here and there.”
This he said while presiding over 23rd meeting of Taskforce on Coronavirus here at CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Saeed Ghani, Syed Nasir Shah, Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Home Usman Chachar, Brigadier Sami of Corps 5, representatives of WHO, Civil Aviation, Airport, VC Dow University Prof. Saeed Qureshi, Prof Dr. Bari, Prof Dr Faisal, Focal Person MB Dharejo and other concerned.
Shah said that the people of Pakistan were fighting against COVID-19 bravely.
“Time has come to demonstrate a responsible attitude by observing volunteer social distancing and it is possible when we all will prefer to remain at our homes,” he said.
He also said that he was surprised that during these holidays some people were hosting receptions and family gatherings at their homes.
“This is not a time of social gatherings but it is for social distancing,” he said.
COVID-19: Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi briefing the chief minister said that 2017 samples have been taken from Sukkur (Sukkur-I and II batches) and Larkana 83, of them 1294 diagnosed as negative while 238 have been declared as positive.
The results of 402 samples of Sukkur-II and 83 of Larkana are pending.
In Karachi/other districts, 1230 samples were tested, of them 98 have been diagnosed as positive. In this way the tally has risen to 249.
It may be noted in the second batch of another 402 pilgrims have returned from Taftan and have been kept at Sukkur while 83 have also returned from Iran and kept in isolation at Larkana.
The chief minister said that local transmission cases have become 51 and this was worrisome for me and everyone who understood the situation.
Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani told the chief minister that 22 pilgrims who were going to Iran but due to COVID-19 spread could not go there.
He added that all the 22 pilgrims have returned via Lasbella and the DC West have received them. The chief minister directed the commissioner to get all the 22 people screened and if they all are ok then send them back to their homes.
The Commissioner also briefed the chief minister about the establishing Quarantine Center and Field Hospital at Expo Center.
The chief minister directed him to make necessary arrangements for toilets and the resting place for the staff at Expo Center. He allowed necessary procurement of equipment, medicines, masks, and such other items hall-wise.
Suspects: The public sector hospital in their daily report identified 1874 suspects, of them 21 were found to be tested. The private hospitals have given a list of 702 suspects; of them five have been tested.
Airport: The chief minister was told that 31 flights were scheduled today but 15 of them were cancelled. Remaining 16 flights brought 3710 passengers; of them four were deemed as suspect and kept in quarantine and their samples sent for test.