ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has determined to maintain its borders with Iran, Afghanistan and India closed for an additional two weeks because it stepped up e
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has determined to maintain its borders with Iran, Afghanistan and India closed for an additional two weeks because it stepped up efforts to include the proliferation of the novel coronavirus which has to this point contaminated greater than half 1,000,000 individuals worldwide.
“The federal government has determined to maintain Pakistan’s western and japanese borders closed for an additional two weeks,” stated Particular Assistant to the Prime Minister on Nationwide Safety Dr Moeed Yusuf whereas addressing a information convention on Saturday.
Particular Assistant to the Prime Minister on Well being Dr Zafar Mirza and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal have been additionally current on the presser.
In accordance with Dr Yusuf, the choice to maintain the borders closed was taken at a gathering of the Nationwide Coordination Committee (NCC) for COVID-19 held on March 26. “All flights may also stay suspended until April 4,” the adviser added.
Dr Yusuf, nevertheless, clarified that the federal government may give particular waivers for flights if a rustic requests to evacuate its stranded residents in Pakistan. “Our ports will, nevertheless, stay open,” he stated.
Talking on the event, Dr Zafar Mirza stated 4 teams of individuals could possibly be examined for the coronavirus.
“These embody bronchial asthma sufferers who are available in contact with COVID-19 sufferers; individuals with respiratory sicknesses or immuno-deficiencies; bronchial asthma sufferers or these with different respiratory sicknesses; and other people presently admitted in hospitals.”
Dr Mirza stated those that have diabetes or cardiac issues and are available in contact with a coronavirus affected person or quarantined individuals may be examined. “The one legitimate check for COVID-19 is the Polymerase Chain Response (PCR) check,” he added.
The NDMA chairman stated the federal government is arranging extra ventilators, which, he stated, are being procured. He stated his authority has positioned an order for 679 ventilators.
“4 hundred of those machines ought to arrive inside the subsequent two weeks. Some nations have additionally donated 125 to 150 ventilators, which ought to arrive inside the subsequent few days,” he stated. He stated the NDMA and the Nationwide Institute of Well being (NIH) are additionally making an attempt to extend testing capability within the nation.
“Three establishments in Karachi – Indus Hospital, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) – are going to be supplied testing kits,” stated Lt Gen Afzal.
“We’re doing feasibility research to know the place we will arrange laboratories in Punjab,” he added.
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