The health department had sent eight samples of coronavirus suspects for lab test on Tuesday and fortunately six of them have been declared as negative while two results are being awaited.

This was disclosed in the meeting of the Task Force on Coronavirus held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here on Tuesday at the CM House.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Dr Azra Pechuho and Syed Nasir Shah, Advisor Murtaza Wahab, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner of Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Adl IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, representatives of 5 Corps, Pakistan Rangers, Airport, Civil Aviation Authority, WHO, FIA and Dr Bari of Indus Hsopital and Dr Faisal of Aga Khan Hospital.

In the meeting it was disclosed that on Monday four samples of suspects were sent for lab test and fortunately all the 4 results came negative. Again, eight samples were sent to lab for test on Tuesday, of them six have been declared as negative while two results were still awaited.

The chief minister was told that the list of the pilgrims who went to Iran via airport and Taftan had 2,848 names, of them 314 names were found duplicate. It means the actual numbers of pilgrims were 2,534, of them 764 have arrived during the last 14 days and were kept in quarantines but none of them had any symptoms.

Presently, 557 have been quarantined at their homes while 1,213 are yet to be traced and it is not known whether they have returned or are still in Iran or at Taftan.

The chief secretary said that he was in touch with Balochistan government and they were also taking strict measures to check the arriving pilgrims at Taftan.

The chief minister said that things were under control because his government had taken strict measures on time.