ISLAMABAD, Mar 15 (DNA): The number of the cases of novel coronavirus in
Pakistan has increased to 31 after one case reported in Islamabad and
two more cases surfaced in Karachi.

According to latest information disseminated Sunday, Sindh has reported
18 cases, Balochistan six, Islamabad four while three people have been
diagnosed with the virus in Gilgit-Baltistan. Three patients have also
been discharged after full recovery from the disease.

The first case reported in Islamabad was a woman, who had recently
arrived in the federal capital from the United Kingdom. She was first
admitted at a private hospital but later shifted to an isolation ward at
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and tested positive.

The patient said to be in a critical condition and being kept at
ventilator, according to doctors. Thirteen samples of the patient’s
family members and the private hospital staff have also been sent to the
National Institute of Health (NIH).

With two fresh cases of COVID-19 in Sindh, the provincial tally has
reached to 17 two of them recovered from the infection.

Sindh now have two locally transmitted cases of COVID-19, a mysterious
pneumonia-like disease caused by the coronavirus.

One patient recently returned from Saudi Arabia while the other
patient’s father has a travel history of the United Kingdom and
transmitted the virus to his young child, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah
was informed during the meeting of coronavirus task force.

The provincial health department has also taken the samples of second
patient’s father.

On the other hand, emergency has been declared in all the provinces in a
wake to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The government has shutdown marriage halls and cinema houses and imposed
ban over public gatherings to avoid spread of the virus. Moreover, all
airports have been closed except those in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Earlier, the Ministry of National Health Services had prepared a report
over coronavirus cases in Pakistan stating that total 609 suspects were
tested for the virus on Friday and 78 more samples were sent to the
laboratories. DNA