Govt ‘not hiding’ coronavirus cases in Pakistan due to PSL

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Wednesday said reports of government concealing the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan because of the Pakistan Super League 2020 are ‘false’. “It is 200 per cent false that Pakistan is hiding the number of coronavirus cases because of ongoing PSL matches in the country,” he told reporters in Rawalpindi. “Every little case of common cough or flu should not be mistaken for coronavirus,” he noted. “If people get alarmed and concerned at every little illness, there will soon be a panic in the country,” he added. Mirza said Pakistan has thankfully managed to contain the pandemic to some extent because of the preventive measures put in place by the government. “More than 200 people have been tested for the virus across Pakistan. Five were tested positive and their condition is improving day by day,” he said. “Our simple policy is working so far, [it] is working very well and it needs to be further strengthened,” he went on to say. “We need to prepare ourselves for a worst-case scenario but we should hope for the best,” he said, adding that the result of the coordinated efforts both at the federal and provincial levels will have a positive result. With regards to school closures in Islamabad and federal areas, Mirza said at this stage the federal government has not recommended the closure of schools. “However, provincial governments are independent and the Centre has no objection to their decisions to close schools,” he said, adding that people should remain optimistic about the future. “We are ready for any kind of emergency,” he affirmed. The special assistant was also asked about Pakistani students who are in China, particularly in Wuhan, where the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, named COVID-19, was first reported. Mirza said the government is constantly in touch with these students and is doing whatever it can for their wellbeing in coordination with the Chinese government. He said that they have not been brought back as Pakistan is respecting the regulations of the Chinese government. Additionally, he said, there is no restriction on those who are outside China’s Hubei province. “We think that one result of these policies is that this virus hasn’t spread in Pakistan the way it has in other countries,” he said. Only five persons or 2.23 percent of the total of 224 suspected patients who were tested for coronavirus throughout the country since the first week of February 2020 have been diagnosed with the respiratory illness, officials at the National Institute of Health (NIH) had said on Tuesday. As part of precautionary measure against novel coronavirus, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday extended suspension of its flights to Beijing till March 30. A spokesperson for the national flag carrier said that Islamabad-Beijing-Tokyo flights will remain suspended till 30th of this month. He said that PIA’s booking and sales agents have been restrained from reserving seats for Beijing. Meanwhile, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has declared health emergency in the province following the emergence of five coronavirus cases in Pakistan. A notification issued by the KP Health Department said the decision was taken in view of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) declared by WHO in January and the subsequent declaration of health emergency by the federal government vide order no 1/112020 dated January 31, 2020. Exercising powers under Section 6(1) read with Section 3 of the KP Public Health (Surveillance and Response) Act 2017, Chairman Public Health Committee, also the provincial health minister, Taimur Jhagra declared a health emergency with immediate effect in a bid to enable the department to take necessary measures for preparedness, prevention, control and response throughout the province. “Extensive measures are required to be set in place for the preparedness, prevention, control and response to the spread of the disease throughout the province due to its high rate of spread and non-availability of treatment at the moment which may lead to significant casualties,” reads the notification. The Pak-Afghan border at Chaman remained close on the third day on Wednesday in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus on both sides of the border. On the other hand, the Taftan border between Iran and Pakistan has been opened temporarily in accordance with the pre-defined schedule to allow one-way traffic into the country. Those returning include pilgrims among other Pakistani citizens, and they are being screened and kept under quarantine at the Pakistan House. They will be allowed to leave after proper screening is concluded.