No COVID-19 related death so far in Pakistan: Dr Mirza

State minister for health says all resources are mobilised and measures taken for prevention and mitigation

The state minister for health, Dr Zafar Mirza, has said that so far no death has been reported from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, in Pakistan.

“There is no COVID19 related reported deaths so far in Pakistan. Allhamdolillah,” he wrote in a tweet on Wednesday while giving updates on the virus situation in Pakistan.

Dr Mirza said there are 247 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan. According to a breakup given by him, Sindh has 183 cases, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 19, Balochistan, 15, Gilgit-Baltistan, 13, Punjab, 9, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 7, and AJK, 1.

ICT: 7
Punjab: 9
Sindh: 183
KPK: 19
Bln: 15
AJK: 1
GB: 13
There is no COVID19 related reported deaths so far in Pak. Allhamdolillah. <260>

— Zafar Mirza (@zfrmrza) March 18, 2020

”The federal govt, the provinces and all stakeholders are working on a war footing for safety & well-being of the people of Pakistan,” Dr Mirza said. “All resources are mobilised and measures taken for prevention and mitigation.”

A day earlier, the Punjab government denied the first reported fatality of the novel coronavirus in Pakistan and urged people to “act responsibility during the testing times”.

“We have received test reports of Imran Ali, who lost his life in Mayo Hospital, and his cause of death was not COVID19. I urge everyone that these are testing times & we should act responsibly..,” Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said in a tweet from his official handle.

The death was announced on a web portal the federal health ministry launched on Monday to keep a track of the spread of the virus. The deceased patient was under treatment in Lahore.