ISLAMABAD, FEB 28 — The two patients confirmed to have coronavirus in Pakistan are “stable and improving”, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said on Thursday.

In a tweet shared on Thursday night, the premier’s special assistant on health added that all those contacts who were traced up until now and had been tested were negative for the virus.

On Wednesday, Pakistan confirmed its first two cases of COVID-19 — one case in Karachi and the other in Islamabad.

The first case was confirmed in a 22-year-old male patient in Sindh had travelled to Iran where he acquired the virus. The second was confirmed in a patient at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad who came from Skardu. The patient had also visited Iran a month ago.

Earlier on Thursday, Mirza assured that effective measures were being taken to deal with novel coronavirus in Pakistan.

He was speaking to journalists during his visit to the Taftan border where he along with federal health secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik and provincial ministers Zahoor Buledi and Mir Mohammad Arif Mohammad Hassani inspected arrangements made at Pakistan House and the Federal Investigation Agency’s immigration office in connection with containing the spread of the virus.

On Friday morning, Mirza shared pictures from his visit to the Taftan-Zahdan border.

“Reviewed the situation and now we have a plan! Over next few days we will gradually allow Pakistani Zaireens returning from Iran in batches after full health screening. Point of entry is being strengthened. Thanks to all for the hard work!” he said in a tweet.

The premier’s special assistant also added that he had met with the Balochistan chief minister and reviewed preparation to “effectively address” coronavirus.

“A lot is being done in Balochistan — much more needs to be done,” he said.

Pakistan also suspended flights to and from Iran at midnight in light of the swelling number of coronavirus cases in the neighbouring country. Road and rail movement between the two countries had already been suspended earlier in the week.