QUETTA: The Balochistan government has declared health emergency at Taftan border after reports of coronavirus in Iran.

This was stated by Chief Secretory Balochistan Fazeel Asghar while chairing a meeting in Quetta in connection with reports of coronavirus in Iran.

Also Read: Govt striving to save Pakistani Zaireen in Iran from coronavirus: Noor-ul-Haq Qadri

He also directed Provincial Disaster Management Authority to provide food items and medicine to pilgrims at Taftan border.

Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noor-ul-Haq Qadri on Monday said the government was in close contact with Iranian authorities to save Pakistani Zaireen from coronavirus.

In a statement, he said special teams had been constituted to protect the returning Pakistani Zaireen from coronavirus at Taftan border.

At least 43 people have reportedly been affected in Iran and eight others have been dead from coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was deeply concerned about the coronavirus outbreak in Iran. The deaths and confirmed cases of the #COVID19 in Iran had no direct relationship with Wuhan, China, the WHO said.

Despite coronavirus outbreak in China, Iran reportedly refused to suspend flights to China, while it also provided China three million masks. Iran is currently facing shortage of masks.

Kuwait has reported its first three cases of coronavirus. The affected people are those who recently returned from Mashhad in northeast Iran.