ISLAMABAD, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza on Wednesday night confirmed the first COVID-19 death in Pakistan, who was a 50-year-old man being treated in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.

Health Minister of the KP Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra said in a tweet which got retweeted by Mirza that a second patient who was 36-year-old and being treated in a hospital in the provincial capital of Peshawar has also passed away due to COVID-19.

The first deceased recently returned from Saudi Arabia, and had been on ventilator in a hospital in Mardan city of the KP, according to Jhagra.

Sources from Mardan's health department told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the deceased visited Saudi Arabia with his two friends for pilgrimage and his close contacts of wife, children and grandchildren have been traced for screening.

The rising cases of the disease in the province have raised concerns of the government, making it to close excursion places, public and private gatherings, and restaurants in the province where schools were already closed.

Mirza on Wednesday afternoon said the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan has reached 247.

In a bid to control the further spread of the disease, the provincial governments of Pakistan are also adopting stricter strategies to promote self-isolation among the people, including closure of picnic points, shopping malls, beauty salons, closing or limiting times of restaurants and closing of some government offices.

Special desks have also been established at the three airports of the country in Islamabad, Lahore and southern port city of Karachi to screen the people coming from abroad, whereas international flight operation was suspended in other airports across the country. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)