Balochistan reports first case of Covid-19, Pakistan\'s tally climbs to 19

PAKISTAN: Pakistan's Balochistan province has reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus bringing the countrywide tally to 19.

The patient is a 12-year-old boy who had travelled with his family to Iran and crossed back into the country via the Taftan border, Dawn reported. "The boy has been placed in an isolated ward," Dawn quoted Medical Superintendent of the Fatima Jinnah Hospital, Noorullah, as saying.

Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said that the tracing and testing of the boy's family are ongoing. "Their blood samples were sent to the laboratory because of the family's history of travelling to coronavirus-infected areas in Iran and so far only a 12-year-old child was diagnosed with the disease," Shahwani said.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Health Department has confirmed two more cases of the deadly virus, taking the total tally to 15 in the province.

According to the Health Department, one of the patients had arrived in the country from Syria via Doha and others arrived from Iran via Dubai.

"The department is in the process of tracking down all their contacts for testing. This brings the total number of cases to 15 in Sindh," a health department statement said.

The Sindh government chaired a high-level meeting to discuss measures to contain the spread of the virus. It is yet to issue an advisory to avoid large public gatherings.

The provincial government is also planning to put its own thermal sensors for virus screening at Karachi airport.

The deadly virus which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan has affected more than 105 countries and has infected more than 115,000 people globally with nearly 4,000 deaths.