The federal government has decided to close the eastern as well as the western borders along India, Afghanistan and Iran for another two weeks in a bid to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Addressing a media briefing along with Chairman NDMA Lt-Gen Muhammad Afzal and Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza in Islamabad on Saturday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Division Dr Moeed Yusuf said Kartarpur border was also included.
Dr Yusuf said seaports would continue operating with enhanced screening facilities. He said international flights to the country were banned till 4th of next month and there would also be "prohibition for flights leaving the country for abroad from tomorrow."
Dr Yusuf said arrangements had been made for Pakistanis stranded at various international airports and a batch of Pakistanis from Thailand would reach the country tonight. He assured all the Pakistanis were either back, or the countries had extended their visas, and they were staying there for sometime.
Dr Yusuf said domestic flights would also remain suspended except from Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu. He said, there is an exemption, if any country wants to get their people back there we will have one to one talk with them and will make the arrangements accordingly.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mirza said 25 coronavirus patients in the country had completely recovered. He said around 12,218 suspected cases of corona pandemic were in Pakistan, while 1,408 of those were confirmed.
Dr Mirza said 173 cases had been added during the past 24 hours with 11 deaths reported so far from the regions of Karachi, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, and Gilgit. He said 725 patients had been admitted to various hospitals of the country.
He said there were two coronavirus patients from the AJK, one from Balochistan, 107 from GB, Sindh 457, Punjab 490, KP 180, and 39 patients were from Islamabad. He said the mortality rate of Pakistan was 0.78, whereas, China's mortality rate was 4.04, Italy 10.55, and for Iran it is 7.35.
He said 7,000 people were in quarantine centers and there were 180 quarantine centers in Pakistan. He urged the people to follow the advisory to note down the symptoms of coronavirus before coming for the tests.
Out of worry, people are looking for links to get through the test, which comes negative mostly. And this would cause misusage of testing kits, which we need the most at this time of emergency.
Speaking on the occasion, Lieutenant-General Afzal said that number of laboratories was being increased across the country including three for Sindh, three for the KP, two for Punjab, two for AJK, and one for Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said this figure would reach 50 within 15 to 20 days. He said two cargo flights were coming over, one had reached with 600 testing kits each carrying 50 samples in Karachi. Eight Chinese doctors have reached along with 12 tons of medical equipment and next flight will reach Islamabad from Wuhan tonight, which carries 15 ventilators and protective equipment for the medical staff.
For Gilgit-Baltistan, China had sent a package, which would be sufficient for the next 3-4 weeks including five ventilators. And, for AJK a package of 1,200 kits, he added. He said 679 ventilators had been ordered out of which 400 would reach next week.
Different countries have also donated 150 ventilators. On Tuesday, ventilators will reach along with walk-through gates for airports, he said. He said that NDMA would recruit 100 laboratory technicians having molecular biology background on contract basis for six months to meet shortage of manpower to make such laboratories functional. It would be a Grade-14 job, he said, while adding the gap would be filled by recruiting them.