This he said on Tuesday while presiding over the 13th meeting of the task force on the coronavirus here at the Chief Minister's House. The meeting was attended by Minister of Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister of Local Government Nasir Shah, Advisor on Law Murtaza Wahab, Mayor of Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Ghulam Nabi Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner of Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Secretary Home Usman Chachar, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary health Zahid Abbasi, DG PDMA Salman Shah, representatives of Corps 5, Rangers, FIA, Airport services, Civil Aviation, WHO, Aga Khan Hospital and Indus Hospital.
The chief minister was told that 19 samples were tested, of them nine were diagnosed as positive while 10 declared as negative. Thus, the number of cases in Sindh have come to 15, including 14 in Karachi and one in Hyderabad. Two more samples have been sent for lab test and their results were being awaited.
The meeting was told that all the 14 patients under treatment were stable and were recovering. The health department has conducted 162 lab tests, of them 147 declared as negative while 15 diagnosed as positive. Two results are pending.
The meeting was told that first patient had recovered and returned home while the other one, who was a high risk 67-year-old patient, has also recovered and diagnosed as negative on Tuesday and again he would be tested tomorrow.
It was pointed out that 167 pilgrims were in quarantine at their homes. 25 of the quarantined pilgrims would complete their isolation on March 11, 34 on March 12, 66 on March 13 and so on and so forth.
The chief minister said that everyday around 4,000 passengers arrive at the Karachi Airport, and so arrangements for their screening must be made foolproof. He directed the chief secretary to talk to the federal government and request them to make quarantine arrangements at the airport for suspects of the coronavirus.
"I want none of the passenger with pneumonia or coronavirus symptoms be brought out of the airport and expose him/her to others," he said. The chief secretary told the chief minister that health department has posted 32 professionals at the airport. He said he was doubling the health dept staff at the airport so that every incoming passenger could be checked properly.
On the instructions of the chief minister, the private hospitals shared the data of 691 patients and none of them was diagnosed as positive. This kind of data from private hospital would be pouring into the health department every day.
The meeting decided that health education and screening desk would be established at the immigration counters at Karachi airport. The health department professionals, doctors and paramedical staff would be given special training by the WHO.
PSL: The chief minister said that PSL matches were already scheduled in the city. He directed the Chief Secretary and the IG Police to make necessary arrangements for organizing the PSL matches as per their schedule. "But I want you to issue an advisory for the spectators," he said.
The chief minister directed Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah and Commissioner of Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani to hold a meeting with PCB authorities to discuss all the precautionary measures.
He urged them to install hand sanitizer boxes at the stadium and issue advise for the people who have a travel history of Iran to not to visit the stadium.
The commissioner and PCB authorities would work out a detailed precautionary plan in the light of the advisory the health department has already issued.