PM Imran Khan chairs NCC meeting as Punjab seen spike in coronavirus cases

ISLAMABAD: Around 140 more people were tested positive for novel coronavirus on Thursday – taking the national tally of infections to 1,197 – as the newly formed National Coordination Committee (NCC) for COVID-19 decided to keep all educational institution in the country closed till May 31.

Most of the new cases were reported in Punjab, where the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department confirmed 70 new infections. With these new cases, the total number of coronavirus case in Pakistan’s biggest province jumped to 405. One of the patients also died on Thursday.

According to the department, 207 people in DG Khan, 22 in Multan, 103 in Lahore, 22 in Gujrat, 8 in Gujranwala, 19 in Jhelum, 12 in Rawalpindi, 3 in Faisalabad, 2 each in Mandi Bahauddin and Mianwali and 1 each in Narowal, Sargodha, Attock, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan were tested positive.

The total number of infection in Sindh rose to 422, Balochistan, 131, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), 123, Islamabad, 25, and Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 85.

To take stock of the situation, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the NCC meeting which decided to limit number of people participating in congregational prayers at mosques

After the meeting, the Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar announced that the educational institutions would remain closed till May end – a decision taken in agreement with all provinces.

Umar was flanked by Minister for Religious Affairs Dr Noorul Haq Qadri, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief.

The planning minister said the difficulties faced by transporters due lockdown will be discussed by the NCC in its meeting on March 27 (today).

“A team would work on data analytics so that decisions could be taken on the basis of data and the on-ground situation. Another team is ensuring implementation of the economic package announced by the premier two days back,” he added.

He dismissed the reports that there was a shortage of wheat flour in parts of the country. “There is no shortage as 170,000 tonnes of flour is available in the country,” he said.

Umar said the officials and representatives of the federal government and provinces will now work at the National Command Centre in the NDMA to ensure that all people working on the coronavirus are at one place and can share and exchange data and questions.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan will announce two more “big initiatives” in a day or two, adding that the premier personally asked him to tell the hoarders and all those taking advantage of the current situation that it was not just a crime in the country but in God’s eyes as well.

Medical training on cards

Addressing the press conference, Dr Zafar Mirza said Pakistan will have enough medical equipment, including personal protection kits, by April 5 that will improve the safety of the health officials working on the frontline.

On national level, he said, the government will introduce a training programme for the medical officials in about a month-and-a-half. “Around 5,000 doctors and nurses would get training in the first phase.”

Sitting very close to other functionaries at the press conference, Mirza said there are four main steps regarding social distancing: don’t go out unnecessarily, maintain a two-meter distance if you need to step out, don’t shake hands or hug people, and wash your hands with soap or use sanitizer.

Mirza announced that an expert on infectious diseases, Dr Faisal Sultan, has been included in the government’s team as the focal point for coronavirus with regards to the health aspect.

Ventilators, medical equipment, test kits ordered

The NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal said the current number of beds in the intensive care unit (ICUs) in Pakistan stood at 19,670.

“The total number of quarantine beds across the country is 162,000. Three-star and four-star hotels have also been booked. Five-star hotels would be used as the fourth line of defence,” he said.

Currently, he said, there are 194,000 medical health practitioners in Pakistan, of whom 30,000 work in ICUs. “The 30,000 people working in ICUs will get a complete medical kit by next Sunday,” he said, “the medical practitioners would get the kit just like a soldier gets a kit before war.”

The NDMA chief said the number of the imported ventilators will reach to 1,000 by April 10 to 15, adding that the number will rise to 2,000 to 3,000 by April 25 and by May, it may increase to between 8,000 and 10,000. He added that the out-of-order ventilators were also being repaired.

In addition, he said, about 50,000 testing kits will arrive at the Karachi airport tomorrow and 1million more test kits have already been ordered.

US embassy official leave

In view of the spread of the contagion, 69 employees of the US Embassy in Islamabad left for their country on a private plane after getting a special permission from the government of Pakistan.

This is the second group of US Embassy officials to leave Pakistan as earlier 71 officials flew to the US on account of the disease.

Meanwhile, the government also cancelled four special flights of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to the United Kingdom and Canada because of spread of the contagious flu like disease in the UK and North America.

Pakistan has already suspended all international flight operations and these special flights – scheduled for Toronto, London, Birmingham and Manchester – were announced on humanitarian grounds for foreigners stranded in country.

[WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS IN LAHORE]