Eight of 27 people who contacted latest coronavirus patient test negative

KARACHI: Eight of the 27 people who had contacted the latest coronavirus patient tested negative for infections, Sindh Health Secretary Zahid Abbasi said Monday, while the remaining ones were yet to undergo tests.

Four others, who were suspected of having contracted coronavirus, also tested negative today, Abbasi said during a meeting with the provincial task force on coronavirus that was presided by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Among attendees were Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Adviser to CM on Law, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Inspector-General of Police for Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Additional Chief Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, representatives of Corps 5, Rangers, FIA, Airport Services, Civil Aviation, WHO, Aga Khan Hospital, Indus Hospital, and other concerned institutions.

During the meeting, the CM directed government and private hospitals to share the record of all patients who visited them with symptoms of pneumonia so that their further medical investigations could be made to contain the coronavirus.

Chachar, the additional chief home secretary, said the federal government was distributing health card/travel declaration among passengers on international flights coming to Karachi. The passenger had to record their travel history in the last 14 days in the declaration.

In response to a question, Shah was told that three coronavirus patients were under treatment and two of them have recovered while a third one’s recovery was slow.

The task force was informed that 135 tests have been conducted in Sindh so far. Of them, four diagnosed as positive and 112 declared negative.

At present, 230 pilgrims have been kept in quarantine. The isolation period of 63 of them would conclude on March 10, another 25 on March 11, and 34 on March 12.

The chief minister was told that 59 suspected patients — who had traveled with four coronavirus patients in Sindh — had been traced and the list been shared with all the deputy commissioners to contact and conduct their necessary medical investigations.