21 deaths reported across country so far: Zafar

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Monday said that so far 21 deaths had been reported in the country, adding in the coming days the number of recovered coronavirus patients would increase.
Addressing a press conference here along with Chairman National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal, and SPAM on National Security DrMoeed Yusuf, Mirza said that so far the coronavirus pandemic had claimed 21 lives, with five deaths reported within the last 24 hours.
He said that Pakistan had reported 99 cases during past 24 hours which are fewer as compared to the ratio in the last few days.
"In the coming days, there will be an increase in the number of recovered people," he said, adding that only 99 cases had been confirmed across the country since Sunday.
Dr Mirza said that currently, 7,507 people were placed under quarantine in different places across the country.
"In hospitals, out of 783 cases, 773 are improving and expected to get well soon," said Dr Mirza.
"Only 10 patients are in a critical condition," he continued. Addressing the press conference, the NDMA chairman said that the government's priority was to provide medical teams with adequate supplies so that they could freely dispense their services to the ailing
"The laboratories in Sargodha are being evaluated, and then they will begin testing," he apprised.
The NDMA chairman further said that the officials were aiming to increase testing
capacity in Pakistan, adding that the flight from Beijing also brought 100 walk-through,thermal scanning machines.
He said that until April 6, around 100,000 protective kits would be in the country, along with 1,100 to 1,500 ventilators.
"The Sindh government has been given 20,000 testing kits, while Punjab received 5,000," he said.
SAPM Dr Yusuf said there were no Pakistani passengers in transit at any airports of the world, adding that all such passengers either had been airlifted to Pakistan or their visas were extended at their respective countries. He said all Pakistanis stranded in Thailand were brought back to the country and their coronavirus tests were negative.
While categorically rejecting the reports about resuming rail and air operations in the country from April 1 and April 5 respectively, he said that no final decision was made in that regard.
He said the government was working on various options but it was not yet decided to resume railways and air traffic from April 1.
All airports would remain closed for normal domestic flights, he added.
However, Yusuf said later airports would gradually be opened for few flights.