Measures adopt at Torkham border to curb coronavirus

Ahmad Nabi

LANDI KOTAL: After detecting first coronavirus case in Hirat province of Afghanistan, the health department initiated precautionary steps to curtail spread of the disease to Pakistan.

It is to be mentioned here that Pakistan suspended its border with Iran following spread of the coronavirus officially named as Covid-19 by the WHO which causes pneumonia-like symptoms. District health officer, Tariq Hayat said that all necessary initiative had been approved halt spread of corona virus through Torkham border.

He said that medical teams had been deployed at Torkham border round the clock and a medical check point had been set up where all passengers coming from Afghanistan were observed through thermal scanners guns. Isolation ward had been reserved in Pak-Afghan friendship hospital, Torkham and an ambulance service had been already provided to deal an emergency situation, he added and saying extra-isolation wards had been established in LandiKotal and Jamrud hospitals to response at time of need.

Assistant Commissioner, LandiKotal, Muhammad Imran Yousafzai who examined the quarantine center established for curbing the coronavirus said that all initiatives had been finalized to stop the fatal virus at the western border. He maintained that for the purpose 21 health officials comprising nine doctors and thirteen paramedical staff had been deployed to tackle expected menace at the border.

Daily 7000 to 7500 passengers coming to Pakistan via Torkham and since 01st till 19th February, screening of 129000 passengers had been conducted the border, he added. He said that booths had been set up at Torkham border to carry out screening of transporters, male and female passengers separately crossing into Pakistan.

A total of 80,296 (including 78,064 in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau) confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection including 2,715 deaths (including 2,668 in China, 13 in Iran, ten in South Korea, seven in Italy, and one each in the Philippines, Japan, France, and Taiwan) have been reported across the world as it spread to 34 more countries apart from China. The origins of the new coronavirus have been linked to illegally traded wildlife at Wuhan’s seafood market, which sells live animals including bats, rabbits, marmots etc. However, the exact source of the outbreak has not been identified.