Sindh govt offers reward for developing coronavirus vaccine

Announcement comes after growing number of COVID-19 cases emerge in the country

KARACHI: Amid the Sindh government’s all-out measures to contain COVID-19, it has now announced reward and funding for developing a vaccine that can cure the pandemic virus – a mysterious pneumonia-like disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The announcement was made in a video message released by Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Friday.

“Whoever is going to produce a vaccine for coronavirus will be rewarded, we hereby ask all the research laboratories,  research students, whoever is going to develop an exact vaccine will be rewarded whereas all the expenses for the research etc will be funded by the government of Sindh," Shah said in the video message.

The announcement came as the tally for confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan jumped to 28 on Friday with 15 cases reported in Sindh, eight in Balochistan and five in Gilgit-Baltistan.

First locally transmitted coronavirus case emerges in Karachi

"Science and technology are keys to control coronavirus or any other disease caused by a virus or other reasons, and I hope that an antidote can be developed," the minister said.

The situation is still under control as the Sindh government is taking “all necessary steps in this regard”, he added. He urged the people not to panic, and ignore rumours.

As preemptive measures, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday announced that the remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) would be played without spectators in the National Stadium.

The provincial government also decided that educational institutions across the province would remain closed until May 31 and while also postponing examination for the Class IX and X – initially scheduled for March 16.