Three more patients die of coronavirus in Karachi

As Sindh's coronavirus count spike to 566, a cluster emerges at a sealed mosque in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD/ KARACHI: Three more coronavirus patients have passed away in Karachi, bringing the number of fatalities in the province to six, confirmed Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Monday.

Meanwhile, 64 new cases were confirmed in Sindh, including 31 from people staying at a mosque in Hyderabad that was sealed three days ago.

The deceased patients were residents of Karachi who had been diagnosed with the contagious disease two to three days ago. One of them, aged 66, had renal issues and had been undergoing regular dialysis. The second, who was 52 years old, was dealing with respiratory problems, while the third, a 63-year-old patient who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, had a history of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Apart from this, 64 more coronavirus cases were confirmed in the province on the day, of which 27 were from Karachi, 36 from Hyderabad, and one from Jacobabad - the first case to emerge in that city. All of the cases were contracted through local transmission.

As a result, Sindh's tally of COVID-19 patients stands at 566, of which 236 are local transmission cases.

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A cluster of those testing positive for the disease were members of the Tableeghi Jamaat quarantined at the Noor Mosque in Hyderabad’s Wahdat Colony.

The mosque had been sealed after a Chinese Muslim staying there, who belonged to a Tableeghi group, tested positive for COVID-19. On Sunday, health authorities had taken samples from all those at the mosque for testing.

Meanwhile, a large number of people who had been staying at the sealed Noor Mosque in Wahdat Colony were shifted to quarantine centres.

According to additional deputy commissioner Liaquat Ali Kalhoro, 70 people were shifted to Rajputana Hospital, 123 to the Labour Colony flats on Tando Muhammad Khan Road and eight to Kohsar Hospital.

Bank branch sealed

In Hyderabad, the main regional branch of the National Bank of Pakistan was sealed on Monday after an employee tested positive for coronavirus, while another employee suspected of having the disease was admitted to Kohsar Government Hospital.

"All the branch staff have been told to stay at home until disinfectant spraying is carried out and the staff are screened," a branch official told The Express Tribune.

The closure of the bank's central branch in the city has started to create problems for thousands of government employees and pensioners who still draw the cash through cheques after the government released salaries last week.

The official said that although they are continuing operations from a smaller branch in Hussainabad, hassle-free services would not be possible.

The bank's regional branch manager, Parkash Lohano, told The Express Tribune that two suspected patients had been admitted for testing at hospitals. According to him, a staff of around 150 employees worked from the building. The branch has shifted operation to Hussainabad branch, while the regional office has shifted to the Hala Naka branch. He added that the main branch would remain sealed for at least 14 days.

Recovery

On the other hand, the health department reported the recovery of 27 patients on the same days. Of this number, 23 were patients who had been isolated at the quarantine facility in Sukkur's Labour Colony after returning from Iran via the Taftan border. They had tested negative for COVID-19 twice, and were allowed to go home after their full recovery.

Sindh Education and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, who tested positive for coronavirus last week, also announced his complete recovery from the infectious disease.

"Today, the result of my third test came negative…I am grateful to all those who prayed for my recovery. I will try my best to perform my duties like before," he said in a video message shared from his official Twitter account.