The Sindh government on Sunday decided to keep all educational institutions in the province closed until March 13 in view of the threat posed by the novel Coronavirus. The decision was taken by the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while chairing 4th Task Force meeting on coronavirus at CM House.
During the meeting, the chief minister was informed that 738 passengers had arrived in Karachi from Iran till now, while 13,098 had arrived at Taftan. The meeting decided to keep all educational institutions closed till March 13 as this would give the authorities' time to ascertain how many of the people returning from Iran had met their children and relatives.
Chief Minister Shah directed the secretaries for education, colleges, and universities and boards to issue notifications for the closure of educational institutions till the said date. The meeting justified that till that time, the recommended isolation period of 14 days would also be over and the authorities would also be able to screen the passengers returning from Iran as well as any relatives they may have come into contact with.
The meeting was told that there were six suspects belonging to Khairpur, Jacobabad, Tando Jam and Karachi South have been kept in quarantine. Their samples have also been sent for testing.
The meeting was told that out of six samples sent for test one result has been received which is negative while five results being awaited. The meeting was told that 738 passengers have arrived in the city at Jinnah Terminal since January 15, 2020. The figures received from Taftan, Zhob revealed that 13,098 passengers have reached from Iran. The chief minister directed all the agencies, including FIA and health department to keep close coordination with the concerned officers working at Taftan border so that they keep sharing day to day data of the passengers arriving there.
Shah said that the data must contain name of the passenger, date of arrival, district, taluka and complete address, CNIC number, mobile number etc so that they could be tracked accordingly. The meeting was told that the airport authorities have started enforcing all effective screening measures so that no active case could be able to enter into Karachi. He also directed Commissioner Karachi to visit Karachi Airport randomly.
The chief minister was told that the Minister Local Government, Mayor Karachi, Commissioner Karachi and other concerned people visited airport and found that best screening arrangements were made there. The CM in his message to the people of Sindh said that there was no need to be worried. "The measures we are taking such as closing of educational institutions, tracking the passengers and coordinating with the families of the pilgrims are purely for the safety of our people," he said and urged them [people] to cooperate with the government so that we could keep this province and the country safe and secure from further intrusion of the coronavirus. He added that whatever cases have been diagnosed was being contained.
The CM directed the health department to share the details/data with the deputy commissioners so that they not only remain updated but keep following the pilgrims and their family members at their addresses for necessary guidance.
The chief minister directed the Commissioner Karachi to check the data provided by the airport authorities with Nadra so the addresses of some of the missing pilgrims could be ascertain for further action.
The taskforce meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, provincial ministers, Dr Azra Pechuho, Saeed Ghani, Syed Nasir Shah, Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahlwani, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary health Zahid Abbasi, representatives of airport services, Civil Aviation Authority, FIA, DG Health services, Dr Bari of Indus Hospital, Dr Faisal of Aga Khan Hospital and other concerned. The academic activities in all the public and private colleges controlled and regulated by the College Education Department, Govt of Sindh shall remain suspended untill 13 March 2020.
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