PHOTO: PPI/FILE

Four new coronavirus cases confirmed, K-P toll rises to 23

Mardan district locks down UC to which 50-year-old victim belonged, curfew-like restrictions imposed


​ Our Correspondents March 20, 2020
PESHAWAR/ MARDAN: The provincial health department on Thursday said that four new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in the province.

The provincial government Thursday moved to lock down the union council where one of the first casualties from the virus were reported in the country.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Health Department in a statement on microblogging social network Twitter said on Thursday that out of the four new cases confirmed, two patients had a history of foreign travel while one was a relative of a confirmed coronavirus patient.

The last patient had no travel history or known contact with a coronavirus patient.

“Total confirmed coronavirus patients in K-P are 23 now,” the statement read.

The health department, however, rejected rumours that doctors who had diagnosed and treated the coronavirus patient in Mardan were now infected with the virus.

In a video message shared by the health department on its Twitter account, Mardan District Headquarters Hospital Medical Superintendent Basit Saleem said that he has spoken to all doctors who had treated coronavirus patients and they were in good health and high spirits.

Wazir dispels case spike

Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Ajmal Wazir on Thursday rejected reports about 15 new coronavirus cases being confirmed in the province, clarifying that after four new cases were confirmed, the toll has climbed to 23 while another 92 are suspected of being infected with the virus. They have been tested and the results of 43 patients are awaited.

Speaking to media at the information department, the adviser said the new confirmed cases have been reported from the Mansehra, Khyber, and Buner districts.

Mardan’s Manga UC sealed

Meanwhile, the Mardan district administration on Thursday declared an emergency in and locked down the Manga Union Council — the native area of the deceased COVID-19 patient Saadat Khan.

A notification issued by the district administration said that the UC has been locked down with no one allowed to either enter or exit the UC.

It added that the decision has been taken in the larger interest of public safety as several people met with the deceased when he returned to the country after performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia.

However, locals told The Express Tribune that despite the strict measures adopted by the district administration, they have yet to host a visit from medical personnel, nor has the area been disinfected

Meanwhile, the deceased was buried in the UC with tight safety measures. His family has been shifted to the Mardan Medical Complex where their nasopharyngeal swabs were taken for the COVID-19 test.

Saadat, in a video before his death, had complained of fever, throat infection and problems in breathing – including shortness of breath, accompanied by chest pain.

Gomal doctors protest

Doctors and other medical staff at the Gomal Medical College on Thursday protested against the lack of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for doctors. A senior doctor of the health facility, while requesting anonymity, said that safety of the healthcare staff was crucial in such a situation so that they could perform duties without getting sick.

K-P govt closes 23 depts

The provincial government on Thursday closed at least 23 public sector departments in the Civil Secretariat with immediate effect in the wake of coronavirus threat.

A statement said that only nine departments including health, home, finance, rehabilitation, administrative, food, agriculture and elementary and secondary education and planning would remain open in the public interest. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2020.

COMMENTS (1)

Dr. Naushad Khan | 4 years ago | Reply The Study was carried out since 18th March, 2020. The universe of the study was the whole world. The study major objective was to study quarantine role in the control of corona virus in the world and its impact on the world economy. Secondary data was used and total 14 articles were downloaded from the net and studied 10 to 20 times and analyzed the situation. The results indicates that the quarantine play important role in corona virus control but on the other side disturb the business activities of the world which affect the price level of different commodities of the world, and create unemployment problems in the world which further negatively affected the socioeconomic conditions of the world community. Through this way balance of trades of all the countries of the world negatively affected which further disturb the prosperity of the world. So quarantine on one side control the corona virus in the world, while on the other side affect all business activities of the world and make the world environment unfavorable, which crash the whole world economy. Similarly when first corona virus appeared in China Wuhan where in the first instance it was not declared due to unavoidable effect on the China economy while lately it was announced because of this the corona spread into the whole world now 100 countries have been affected and total 200000 persons were infected by this virus. Out of the whole 70% belong to China and 30 percent belong to other remaining countries of the world. It was the main reason of the poor quarantine of the world countries and delay information of the China which was given to We chat by Dr.Li which latter on died by this virus. The study also explained that the quarantine of the world of all the countries are very weak and because of this the people which came from Wuhan were not properly checked and allow to their countries which latter on spread the Corona virus in their countries and make environment unfavorable and multiplied the number of affected in the world and crash the economy and spread a huge panic in the world. Now UNO try for solution while WHO on the start not focus on the quarantine and told that no need of the quarantine while latter on the epidemic reached to multiple countries of the world which killed large number of people in their countries. So quarantine and social distance are the two factors which reduce the corona virus in the world while on other side which affect the world economy negatively. If the epidemic continue for large time then there is a chance of world economy crashing because the number of corona virus in China day by day decreasing while in other countries of the world day by day increasing which have closed all department of the world countries out of China. China has controlled the situation and the number digit came into single while in other countries the digit increase, such as Italy, South Korea, Iran, are the top countries in the world. On the basis of problems the study recommends that to impose strong quarantine in the whole world and focus on China and when anyone come from Wuhan the corona symptoms are observed or not but social distance should be kept from those people and give a separate place to them in the country till June July 2020. Special train health services group should be kept for corona virus sick people in the country on the basis of emergency, if the sick people are present or not; Boundaries of all countries should be sealed and all department of the countries should be closed till June July 2020; Social gathering should be baned in each country of the world; Province to province boundaries should be closed and sealed in a proper way while on quarantine places armies personal should be appointed for tight security; Face Mask should be supplied to all people of the world on free price; Honest staff should be appointed for duty of corona virus control; Mobile set should be provided to all world on free price for contact of one another; Fund should be provided by UNO to all affected countries of the world; Stigma and fake propaganda of corona virus should be reduced; Number of the hospital should be multiplied in all countries of the world for control of corona Virus; Net classes should be started for school, college and university student; Airport and transport facilities should be closed in the area for control of corona virus; World Doctor should be tried for vaccine invention; Islamic principle should be applied by people for corona virus control; In week one day market should be opened for purchasing of daily need commodities in all countries of the world; Information cell center should be opened in each country of the world for communication of information to concerned head quarter. Always keep the body warm and escape from coldness in the country. Always want help from Allah.
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