President Alvi, Defence Minister Khattak test positive for Covid-19

President Arif Alvi and Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak have tested positive for the coronavirus, just a day after officials announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan is making a a steady recovery from the infection.

President Alvi announced his infection in a tweet on Monday. However, his wife Begum Samina Alvi’s test came back negative. It is stated that Alvi has mild symptoms and was in good spirit.

“I have tested positive for Covid-19. May Allah have mercy on all Covid affectees. Had 1st dose of vaccine but antibodies start developing after 2nd dose that was due in a week. Please continue to be careful,” the president said in his tweet.

Begum Samina Alvi, said she had her test done too but that was negative, adding that she was going into quarantine. “Alhamdulillah President @ArifAlvi has mild symptoms but is in good spirits,” she wrote on twitter.

Begum Alvi said that she and the president both had received the first vaccine dose but stressed that it took some time to build immunity. “I request everyone to please continue to get vaccinations done & practice SOPs [Standards Operating Procedures],” she added.

Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail in a tweet revealed on Monday that Defence Minister Pevaiz Khattak had been diagnosed with Covid-19. “Perwaiz Khatak is diagnosed with Covid positive. Get well soon PK,” Imran Ismail said in his tweet.

Prime Minister Imran Khan also tested positive for Covid-19 on March 20, two days after receiving the first dose of Covid vaccine. According to Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Imran had made steady clinical recovery from Covid.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)

Pakistan's Covid-19 cases reached a nine-month high in the past week with more than 4,500 cases being reported consecutively. However, the government is facing criticism over the slow rollout of the vaccine, considered essential to stem the spread of the lethal virus.

A day earlier, Dr Faisal Sultan had said that the current wave of Covid-19 in Pakistan has the potential to be worse than the first one which struck the country in the summer of 2020.

"Covid-19’s current wave has potential to be worse than the first one in the summer of 2020. No time for complacency or visiting crowded places of any kind. Wear masks and educate those around you," Sultan had said on Twitter.