GB reports second coronavirus case, Pakistan tally reaches to 20

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Gigit Baltistan reported its second coronavirus case on Wednesday, a spokesperson for GB government said.

According to the spokesperson, the patient, a 14-year-old hails from Skardu is under treatment at City Hospital in Skardu.

The confirmation takes to the total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan to 20. Sindh has reported the most number of confirmed cases in the provinces with Karachi the worst affected city so far, with 15 of the total confirmed cases.

On Tuesday, two cases of the coronavirus had emerged from Sindh, confirmed the provincial health department.  The first one emerged from Hyderabad. The patient reportedly came to Pakistan from Doha via Syria. The second case of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday emerged from Karachi.

Border closure extended

Earlier this week, Pakistan extended the closure of its Chaman border with Afghanistan for another seven days amid the coronavirus outbreak in the neighbouring country.

“Three positive cases of coronavirus have been registered in western Herat province of Afghanistan,” Wahidullah Mayar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health told Reuters, adding that of the 36 cases tested in Kabul, 33 had come back negative.

According to security officials, the Chaman border remained closed for tenth straight day today, with all trade and migration suspended and over 15,000 people having undergone screening.