Murad releases Rs 7.21 billion to combat COVID-19: Four new cases of COVID-19 detected in Karachi

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has released Rs7.21 billion, including Rs6.9 billion to the health department and the rest of the amount to commissioner of Sukkur, to contain and combat COVID-19. "I'll make more funds available to contain, curb and combat the threat of coronavirus but this will be possible when we all will work together with a team spirit," he said.
This he said on Thursday while presiding over the 22nd meeting of the Task Force on coronavirus here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Saeed Ghani; Adviser Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Dr Bari, chief of Indus Hospital, Dr Faisal of Aga Khan Hospital, Brigadier Sami of Corps 5 and others.
Provincial Ministers Syed Nasir Shah and Awais Shah and Commissioner Sukkur Shafiq Mahesar joined the meeting from Sukkur through a video link. The chief minister told the meeting that he has released Rs6.9 billion to health department for purchase of medicines, equipments, generators, diet charges, sanitizers, kits and swabs.
He also said that he has released Rs16.7 million and another Rs15.1 million to commissioner Sukkur for preparation of isolation center at the Labor Colony, purchase of equipments, hiring of vehicles, food charges and proper care of pilgrims who had arrived there from Taftan in two phases.
New pilgrims: The chief minister was told that 757 new pilgrims from Taftan have arrived. The commissioner said that so far 180 samples of newly arrived pilgrims have been taken and sent to Karachi for test.
Another batch of 88 pilgrims from Taftan have reached Larkana and have been kept in Isolation Centre set up at Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto University, Airja Campus, Larkana. The chief minister directed health department to send them swabs and kits to test the pilgrims.
COVID-19: The chief minister was told that four new cases have been diagnosed in Karachi. There are 66 patients in Karachi, including one in Hyderabad and 151 in Sukkur. The locally transmitted cases have reached 40. The tally of coronavirous cases has risen to 217 in the province.
It may be noted that health department has conducted 1018 tests of the suspects, of them 952 were declared as negative and 66 as positive. The 302 pilgrims from Taftan/Sukkur were tested, of them 151 appeared to be negative and another 151 as positive.
The details of 66 cases, including 64 under treatment are, as follows:
Eight cases have travel history of Syria, three of Dubai, four of Iran, 40 local, one Qatar, six Saudi Arabia, one Turkey and two Switzerland. Testing capacity: The health department told the chief minister that on his instruction the testing capacity has been increased. Indus Hospital has increased its capacity from 200 to 800, Ziauddin 50 tests, SIUT up to 100 per day, Ojha up to 100 per day, Aga Khan 200 tests.
A 23-bed Isolation Center has been created at the SIUT. Flights: The airport authorities told the chief minister that 24 flights were scheduled to arrive on Thursday, out of which 10 were cancelled and the remaining flights brought 3,209 passengers to the city. All the passengers were screened, and one of them was found to be a suspect and his sample was taken and result is pending.