Pakistan health minister tests positive for COVID-19
Dr Zafar Mirza quarantines himself at home after showing mild symptoms
Islamabad: Pakistan’s health minister confirmed he has tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.
Minister of State for Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that he is self-isolating at home after he showed mild symptoms and is “taking all precautions”.
“I have mild symptoms. Please keep me in your kind prayers” he said on Twitter. At the same time, in an effort to boost the morale of the healthcare workers, he said: “Keep up the good work! You are making a big difference & I am proud of you.”
On Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also tested positive for COVID-19. He self-isolated himself at home after suffering from a “slight fever” and said that he will continue to work from home.
Nearly 100 Pakistani politicians and members of parliament have been infected with the virus including former prime ministers, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Governor of Sindh province Imran Ismail and Parliament Speaker Asad Qaiser, among others. Most of them have recovered.
In Pakistan, nearly 231,818 people have tested positive for coronavirus by July 6. Of those, 131,649 (56%) have recovered, according to official statistics.