G-B death toll reaches three after 80-year-old man dies of COVID-19

The ederly man had recently returned from Karachi

GILGIT: An eighty-year-old man, who tested positive for coronavirus, has died in Gilgit-Baltistan, taking the region's death toll to three.

"With the latest death, the number of casualties has risen to three," adviser to G-B chief minister on information Shams Mir confirmed during a press briefing on Thursday.

The deceased belonged to Astore district and had returned from Karachi recently. The elderly man died in an isolation centre where he was put in after showing symptoms of COVID-19.



Health department officials have started screening and tracing his contacts.

Last month, a 55-year-old senior technician in the health department and a young doctor, Dr Usama Riaz had succumbed to the highly-contagious disease.

Both deputed at an isolation centre set up for the novel coronavirus patients in the mountainous region to screen pilgrims returning from the Taftaan border crossing.

The COVID-19 tally in G-B has now climbed over 190 with three deaths as the region remains under lockdown and  unnecessary movement is completely banned.