KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday said the people coming from Iran and quarantined in Taftan were kept in one place without any distinction.
“Hundreds of people are kept in one place at Taftan border facility which spreads virus from one patient to other,” CM Murad Ali Shah said while addressing a press conference in Karachi. He was flanked by Spokesperson for Sindh Government Senator Murtaza Wahab.
The coronavirus cases would not have reached Sindh, had borders been completely quarantined, Murad Shah said adding that quarantine meant, one patient would be kept in one room.
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He said they conducted 394 tests, mostly in Karachi. 27 patients in Karachi and 50 in Sukker had turned positive so far and were being looked after at quarantine facilities. Two of the 27 had recovered and rest of them were under treatment, he maintained.
The chief minister said no case had transferred from China. While, apart from the cases via Iran border, eight people coming from Syria, five from Saudi Arabia and three from Dubai had been tested positive, he said.
“In Sukker apartments, we have about 2,048 rooms for emergency situation and each patient has been quarantined in a separate room,” he said. Coronavirus cases were set to rise and we all know that, he added.
CM Murad said there were such people who had been quarantined at homes. Sukker cases were not alarming as strict measures for isolation were being observed, he said.
“You can contract the virus only after coming into contact with a patient or the droplets of cough or cold touches you,” he said adding that if two patients were positive they could meet each other.
Those who did not have severe symptoms, we have kept four of them in one room and doctors were checking them twice a day, he said.
Murad Shah said coronavirus was found in none of the people who came from China. Sindh had brought 10,000 coronavirus testing kits and had the capacity to conduct 200 tests in a day, he said. He said those who had travel history were being tested.
During the presser, he said just came in, 11 more people arriving from Taftan had been tested positive for coronavirus. Tally had reached to 88 in Sindh, he said.
“No patient has so far been required to be provided oxygen, no patient in Sindh is in serious condition. Holistically, we have to see what measures we have to take. In my opinion, all the restaurants and chai khanas should be shut down. If one has tested positive today, he can definitely be positive later,” he said.
To a query, CM Murad said neither the Sindh government would close grocery stores and pharmacies nor would give any such suggestion.
