ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan has now witnessed the highest number of Coronavirus Cases in South Asia surpassing India after 15 more people who had recently returned from Iran have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, taking the number of virus-infected persons in the Country to 136.
With 15 persons belonging to the northwestern province and having been tested positive, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also now joined other Provinces and Regions of the Country wherein the virus had also already found its place.
Besides Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 103 Coronavirus Cases have so far been registered in Sindh, 10 in Balochistan, 5 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 2 in Islamabad, and 1 in Punjab.
In a Twitter statement on Monday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance & Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said that 15 of 19 individuals who had arrived in the province from Taftan have been tested positive for the novel virus.
Taimur Khan Jhagra said that the infected persons are being well looked after in quarantine in an isolated facility in Dera Ismail Khan.
It’s worth noting that in neighboring India 129 persons have so far been tested positive for Coronavirus, 22 in Sri Lanka, 21 in Afghanistan, 13 in Maldives, 8 in Bangladesh while 1 each in Nepal and Bhutan.
However, India so far remains the only Country in South Asia wherein two persons infected by the virus have died.
Meanwhile addressing a Press Conference in Islamabad, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on National Health Dr. Zafar Mirza assured that the government is keeping a close eye on the situation in the wake of the spread of Coronavirus and is taking appropriate steps.
Dr. Zafar Mirza said that seasonal flu and fever do not require testing for Coronavirus and only those people need to have tests who have recently returned from abroad and are facing symptoms like fever, cough or difficulty in breathing.
The Special Assistant said that 14 Laboratories in Major Cities of Pakistan have been provided with diagnostic kits by the government that will hold free tests of people.
Dr. Zafar Mirza said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is personally monitoring and supervising the situation. He warned the people to beware of private testing labs that are offering tests for Coronavirus.
