COVID-19: International Islamic university closed for second time as Pakistan cases continue to spike

Islamabad: Coronavirus cases continue to spike in Pakistan as the country reported 30 deaths in one day. This is the highest number of casualties in a period of twenty-four hours in two months.

Besides, the number of new cases of coronavirus after 35,745 tests on Thursday was reported to be 1,376. Pakistan’s total cases are 340,251 while the death toll stopped at 6,923 on Friday.

The number of active cases in the country has jumped to 16,242 which is a cause of worry for the health authorities while there are 830 critical cases of coronavirus in the country.

IIU sealed for the second time

Meanwhile, the authorities sealed Islamabad’s International Islamic University on Friday after five university employees and more than 7 students were reported to be infected with COVID-19.

This is the second time the IIU is being sealed. Earlier the university was closed down last month on Oct 27 when coronavirus cases were reported there.

The District Health Officer (DHO) of Islamabad recommended immediate closure of the university and acting promptly on the DHO letter, Islamabad’s capital administration closed down the premises for an indefinite period.

The DHO has also recommended thorough disinfection of various departments of the university suggesting the hostel residents found positive with Covid-19 must be isolated till recovery and their contacts must be quarantined in a separate isolation area.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and TV host Aamir Liaquat Hussain announced on social media that his wife Tuba and he had tested positive for COVID-19.

“We are under attack,” thus announced Dr Aamir adding, “Attacker detected, the notorious #COVID19. Victims: Aamir Liaquat and Syeda Tuba Aamir.”

Tuba also shared that she is COVID-19 positive as well in an Instagram post.

Earlier, this month, Federal Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Haider Zaidi had also announced on his social media that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Schools closure not an option

Earlier, the federal and the provincial education ministers in a meeting through video link decided not to close educational institutions in the country as positivity rate was hovering over “2-3 per cent.”

The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) discussed the existing COVID-19 situation in the country, particularly in educational institutions.

Later, while talking to the media, a spokesperson for the education ministry said National Health Services Director General Dr Safi Malik gave a detailed presentation to the forum on the current COVID-19 situation in the country.

The provinces also shared data of the positivity rate of virus cases in schools and colleges which ranged between one and two per cent scarcely, “hence the forum was satisfied with the controlled situation in educational institutions,” the spokesperson said.