Pakistan reports its fifth coronavirus patient arrived from Iran on February 28
Authorities are now testing passengers who travelled with the woman patient in a bus
Dubai: Pakistan has reported its fifth coronavirus case on Tuesday.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the 45-year-old woman from northern mountainous region of Gilgit Baltistan had arrived from Iran in a bus on February 28.
The woman is being treated at a hospital and her family members were being tested for the virus.
This is the fifth reported coronavirus case in Pakistan after two cases were reported in Karachi and two in Islamabad.
All of the patients had travelled to Iran where at least 66 people have died from the virus including senior government functionaries with over 1,500, confirmed cases.
The pandemic has triggered panic around the world after it killed 3,100 people around the world (mostly in China) and affected more than 89,000 around the world.
Gilgit-Baltistan focal person for health Dr Shah Zaman said that Pakistan’s fifth case of coronavirus was a woman who had arrived from Iran.
“We have now fifth confirmed case of Covid-19 in federal areas. Patient is stable and is being managed well,” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza tweeted.
Mirza requested the media to respect the privacy of the patient and the family.
He added that samples of others who arrived with her on the bus have been collected and so far only she had tested positive for the virus.
New qurantine centre
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has established a 300-bed quarantine centre in Islamabad.
Citizens returning from China, Iran or other countries affected by coronavirus will be quarantined at the centre for 15 days, Dawn news reported.
The centre, established within one week, has a dispensary, a cafeteria and entertainment options for its residents.
The NDMA has also acquired three latest scanners to be installed at different airports for screening people for the virus.