CORONA IN PAKISTAN

2020 coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan

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This article documents a current pandemic. Information regarding this event may change rapidly and may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information about this pandemic for all areas. Please feel free to improve this article (but note that updates without valid and reliable references will be removed) or discuss changes on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

2020 coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan

Map of regions with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan by 21 March 2020   Confirmed cases reported   Suspected cases reported
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	SARS-CoV-2
Location	Pakistan
First case	Karachi
Arrival date	26 February 2020 (3 weeks and 5 days)
Origin	Wuhan, Hubei, China
Confirmed cases	784 (MoNHSRC confirmed)[a][1] 804 (Dawn tracker)[2]
Recovered	6 (MoNHSRC confirmed)[1]
Deaths	5 (MoNHSRC confirmed)[1]
Official website
http://covid.gov.pk

This article documents the impacts of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan, and may not include all the contemporary major responses and measures. As of 23 March, the number of confirmed cases in the country is 784, with 6 recoveries and 5 deaths.^[1]

Contents

• 1Timeline
  • 1.1February 2020
  • 1.2March 2020
    • 1.2.1March 1–10
    • 1.2.2March 11–20
    • 1.2.3March 21–31
• 2Other cases
• 3Prevention measures
  • 3.1Federal
  • 3.2Provincial
    • 3.2.1Punjab
    • 3.2.2Sindh
    • 3.2.3Balochistan
    • 3.2.4Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • 3.2.5Gilgit-Baltistan
    • 3.2.6Azad Kashmir
    • 3.2.7Islamabad
• 4Impacts
  • 4.1Sport
• 5Statistics
• 6Notes
• 7References

Timeline

Main article: Timeline of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan

COVID-19 cases in Pakistan  ( v t e )      Deaths        Recoveries        Active cases
Date			# of cases	# of deaths
2020-02-26		​	2(+2)
⋮		​	2(=)
2020-02-29		​	4(+100%)
⋮		​	4(=)
2020-03-03		​	5(+25%)
2020-03-05		​ ​	6(+20%)
⋮		​	6(=)
2020-03-08		​ ​	7(+16%)
2020-03-09		​ ​	16(+128%)
2020-03-10		​ ​	19(+19%)
2020-03-11		​ ​	20(+5%)
2020-03-12		​ ​	21(+5%)
2020-03-13		​ ​	28(+33%)
2020-03-14		​ ​	31(+11%)
2020-03-15		​ ​	53(+71%)
2020-03-16		​ ​	187(+252%)
2020-03-17		​ ​	241(+29%)
2020-03-18		​ ​ ​	302(+25%)	2
2020-03-19		​ ​ ​	461(+53%)	2(=)
2020-03-20		​ ​ ​	495(+7%)	3(+1)
2020-03-21		​ ​ ​	646(+30%)	3(=)
2020-03-22		​ ​ ​	784(+21%)	5(+2)
Cases: The number of non-repatriated cases reported by the Government Sources: Official reports from the National Institute of Health

February 2020

On 26 February, Pakistan confirmed its first two cases of the coronavirus. Zafar Mirza, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Health, stated in a tweet: "I can confirm first two cases of coronavirus in Pakistan. Both cases are being taken care of according to clinical standard protocols & both of them are stable."^[3][4]

The first patient was a student at the University of Karachi, Karachi in Sindh province while the second patient was from the federal territory of the country.^[5] Both patients had recently returned from Iran.^[6][7]

Within a week of the first two cases, Pakistan confirmed three more cases, including a case in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad and also in Rawalpindi, Punjab.^[8][9][10]

March 2020

March 1–10

The fifth case was also reported, on 2 March, from the federal area of the country,^[11][12] of a 45-year-old woman from Gilgit, Baltistan, who had also travelled from Iran.^[13]

On 6 March, Murtaza Wahab announced that the first patient in Karachi had fully recovered and was later discharged from hospital after testing negative.^[14][15] On 8 March, Pakistan confirmed its seventh case of COVID-19, also in Karachi.^[16]

The next day, Pakistan reported nine new cases in Karachi, meaning that there was a total of 16 cases of COVID-19, with Sindh having the highest number of cases, 13 altogether.^[17] Five of the new patients had travelled to Syria and some others patients had returned from London. Three new cases were confirmed on 10 March, including one in Hyderabad and the first case in Quetta, Balochistan.^[18][19]

March 11–20

On 11 March, 76 suspected cases were reported in several districts of Punjab province, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Hafizabad and Lodhran. The Healthcare Department officials informed that ten patients were immediately cleared of the suspicion, while 55 patients were cleared after testing negative. ^[20] A second case in Gilgit-Baltistan was confirmed the same day in Skardu leaving the tally at 20.^[21] A third case was confirmed in Gilgit-Baltistan in Shigar district on 12 March, who had a travel history of Iran and was reported to be under treatment at the Skardu hospital.^[22] The same day, Murtaza Wahab informed that the second patient of the virus had completely recovered.^{[citation needed]} On 13 March, the Sindh Health Department identified a 52-year-old patient as positive, which marked the first case of local disease transmission as the patient had travelled from Islamabad.^[23][24] 24 of the 27 suspected cases in Khyber Pakhtunkwa were also cleared that day.^[25] At the end of the day, the total number of cases had risen to 28, with six new cases in Taftan and another in Sindh.^[26][27] By 14 March, the number of cases was 31 as two new patients were found positive in Karachi while one was reported in Islamabad.^[28]

Five more cases were announced in Karachi the next day on 15 March, including a second local transmission of the coronavirus in Sindh, while the other three had a travel history of Saudi Arabia and one had been to Balochistan.^[29] There was also a new case reported in Islamabad Capital Territory. Lahore Health Secretary, Mohammad Usman confirmed the first case of coronavirus in Punjab in the city of Lahore. The infected patient had returned from United Kingdom on 10 March and was shifted to Mayo Hospital in an isolation ward.^[30] The National Institute of Health reported 11 new cases in Sindh and 6 new in a mobile lab at the Taftan border area. and the first case in Punjab, increasing the tally to 53.^[31][32] On 16 March, a total of 134 new positives cases were registered, the majority of them, 116 in Sindh. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also reported its first 15 cases^[33] while 3 were found in Balochistan. This marked the sharpest increase so far as not only were more than a 100 cases were reported in a province within a day but also the number across the country reached 187.^[34][35][36] The tally had shot up to 237 with 25 new cases in Punjab, 12 in Sindh and 4 in Islamabad on 17 March.^[37][38][39]

By 18 March, the first case of coronavirus was reported from Azad Kashmir. The provinces of Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan saw an increase of cases by 36 and 10 respectively. New cases were also reported in other provinces. A patient from Hyderabad was also discharged after recovering in Sindh province, making the total number of recovered cases 5. A total of 302 positive cases were confirmed in Pakistan on 18 March.^[40][41] The first two deaths due to the virus in the country were also confirmed on the day. Both were reported from the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the first being a 50-year-old man who had recently from Saudi Arabia to Mardan District after performing Umrah in Mecca, while the second victim was a 36-year-old from Hangu District. Both had been hospitalised in Peshawar.^[42]

The cases doubled by more than half from 33 to 80 in Punjab; and from 23 to 81 in Balochistan on 19 March. The rise in cases led the provincial government of Balochistan to declare a health emergency and impose a ban on public transport. The provincial government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani stated that a relief package will be provided to the employees of transport companies.^[43] With a total of 159 new cases, the number confirmed cases jumped to 461.^[44]

On 20 March, the first death was reported in Sindh. The patient was a 77-year-old who had acquired the virus through local transmission.^[45] The patient was a cancer survivor and had other underlying medical problems such as hypertension and diabetes.^[46] While in other provinces, the increase in number of new cases was lower compared to the past few days at 34 and the tally stood at 495.^[1]

March 21–31

On 22 March, the third death in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was announced. The first death in Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan were also announced on that day, meaning that the number of deaths increased to 6. The number of cases had also increased to 784 with 138 new cases.^[47][48] The fatality at DHQ Hospital in Gilgit was a doctor who contracted the virus after screening pilgrims returning from Iran.^[49][50] 13 new pilgrims from Taftan via Dera Ghazi Khan were put in quarantine at Mirpur. Also on that day, DESCON donated 10,000 hand sanitisers to hospitals in Punjab, whereas in Balochistan 26 drivers who transported the positive COVID-19 cases to hospitals were kept in quarantine.^[51]

Other cases

On 29 January, four Pakistani students studying in China were tested positive for COVID-19. Two more were later confirmed making the total number 6. Four of the students had recovered on 12 February while the other two recovered on 14 February after being hospitalised in Guangzhou.^[52]

On 11 March, the Pakistani Consulate in Milan announced the first death of a Pakistani from COVID-19 in Brescia, Italy.^[53]

A Pakistani national tested positive at the Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan on 12 March. It was reported that the patient was an employee of Pakistani embassy in Afghanistan.^[54]

Prevention measures

Federal

The national carrier, PIA decided to suspend the flight operation between Pakistan and China till January 30 due to the outbreak. After confirmed reports of hundreds of cases in neighbouring China, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) introduced screening measures at four major airports: Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar for every passenger arriving from China.^[55] Screening was also started for domestic travelers at Karachi's airport on 21 March.^[56]

On 13 March, President Dr. Arif Alvi in a special tweet, advised the public to avoid participation in mass gatherings, handshaking or hugging in addition to taking other precautionary measures if they observe symptoms of flu or corona virus infection.^[57][58] Pakistan also stopped all international flights, except those at Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore airports on the day.^[59]

It was also decided on 13 March at the National Security Council meeting with Prime Minsiter PM Imran Khan that all schools and universities would be closed until 5 April. However, the faculty and staff will go to work as usual. The lectures and classes will be held online in some institutions i.e., Riphah International University, FAST NUCES University, Institute of Space Technology.^[60][61] The Pakistan Day Parade, scheduled to be held on 23 March was also cancelled along with all public events^[62] and proceedings of the Senate were also postponed for two weeks on the day.^[63]

Pakistan closed its borders to travellers from Afghanistan at the Chaman border from 2 until 21 March.^[64] The border was only partially reopened for transportation of food items while pedestrian movement remained suspended.^[65] The Durand Line border was also sealed from 16 March for at least two weeks. The same time period also applied to its land border with Iran after reopening it on 7 March from a previous closure.^{[60][66][67][68]} All land borders, including the China-Pakistan border with China were also shut from 16 March.^[69]

On 21 March, all international flights were suspended for two weeks. The Civil Aviation Authority stated, “[The] government of Pakistan has decided to suspend operation of all international passenger, chartered and private flights to Pakistan, effective from March 21 till April 4”.^[70][71] The Railways Minsiter Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed also announced suspension of 42 trains.^[72]

The federal government offered financial assistance to Sindh by allotting the province $10 million from the non-development funds of the World Bank on 22 March. Imran Ismail, the Governor of Sindh also stated that federal government was taking "vigorous measures" to control the outbreak and that rations will be provided to the families of patients.^[73]

Also on the day, the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi raised the issue of external debt faced by the country and how it should be relieved in repayment of loans on the phone with Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister. Qureshi reportedly told Maas that united efforts were required for dealing with the pandemic and that debt relief could help Pakistan in better handling of the outbreak in the country. He further stated that sanctions on Iran should be lifted immediately so it could utilize its own resources to fight the ongoing outbreak there. In response, Maas assured him that the issues would be raised at the forthcoming G7 meeting and the European Union Foreign Ministers’ Conference next week.^[74]

On 23 March, the nation celebrated Pakistan Day without any public gatherings or military parade. The Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr. Arif Alvi urged the nation to demonstrate unity, discipline and passion in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.^[75] The PM also stated that a complete lockdown of the country was not feasible as 25% of the population lives below the poverty line and would make their lives miserable.^[76] The National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser summoned a meeting of the parliamentary leaders of the Senate and the Lower house to review and discuss the role of the Parliament in containing the spread of the pandemic across the country for 25 March on the day.^[77]

The same day also saw the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa state that the national army was ready to assist the civil administration in containing the pandemic. He further said that the army must serve and protect the country as a sacred duty. According to ISPR, all available troops of the army and its medical resources were tasked to be ready to aid in activities to control the outbreak on short notice.^[78]

Provincial

Punjab

The Government of Punjab declared a health emergency on 12 March in a cabinet meeting. A quarantine facility was established in the Dera Ghazi Khan district for the pilgrims returning from Iran.^[61]

On 22 March, the government decided to close down shopping malls, markets, parks and public gathering places for two days till 24 March. Punjab Chief Minister, Sardar Usman Buzdar urged people to stay at home, practice social distancing and avoid unnecessary travel.^[79] Despite this, local media reported that many residents in Lahore had failed to practice the measures and downright defied it by opening up businesses and gathering in large numbers on various public grounds. This led to the local police and city administration to forcibly vacate them.^[80] The Chief Minsiter also announced that a 1,000 bed hospital would be setup in Lahore while five other hospitals were designated for coronavirus patients across the province the next day on 23 March while the local government and rescue services started disinfecting towns and cities. Public bus services were also temporarily suspended to disinfect all buses and stations.^[81] The Secretary Home Department of Punjab wrote a letter one the day to the Ministry of Interior seeking the assistance of the military under Article 245.^[77]

Sindh

On 1 March, Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, announced the closure of all educational institutes in Sindh until 13 March,^[82][83] which was later extended until 30 May.^[84] On 12 March, the Government of Sindh also announced that the remaining PSL matches at National Stadium, Karachi would be held behind closed doors.^[85] The Sindh government announced on 13 March that all educational institutions will remain closed until 30 May^[61] imposed a temporary ban on marriage halls, shrines and festivals in the province on 14 March.^[86]

On 20 March, the Pakistan Army helped setup a 10,000-bed field hospital at Karachi's Expo Centre to isolate and treat confirmed patients. ALl expenses for its establishment were born by the provincial government.^[87]

On 21 March, the Government of Sindh announced a lockdown in the province for 14 days from morning of 24 March, ordering all public transport, markets, offices, shopping malls, restaurants, and public areas to be shut down.^[88][89] The national army was called to enfore the lockdown.^[90]

Balochistan

The Balochistan Government constituted a 14-member technical committee in late January to tackle the outbreak.^[91]All schools have been closed till 31 March. Balochistan Minister Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind stated that "action will be taken against schools that do not comply with the decision". Matric exams have also been postponed.^[61][92]

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The provincial Government has closed all educational institutes until 5 April and postponed all public gatherings until further notice as a preventive measure.^[93][61] All inter-district public transport was banned for seven days on 22 March.^[94]

Gilgit-Baltistan

On 12 March, the region's Government declared medical emergency in the province after more cases of were reported. Educational institutes were further closed until 5 April as a preventive measure.^[95][61] The provincial government decided to put the entire region on lockdown for an indefinite period on 22 March and suspended intercity transport services. Para-military forces were also tasked to ensure the lockdown.^[96]

Azad Kashmir

On 14 March, the local Government declared a health emergency after a meeting of the National Security Council. It also announced closure of educational institutions until 6 April and secondary examinations were postponed. AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider also stated that screening mechanisms were installed at all 11 points of entry while quarantine facilities were being established in all 10 districts.^[97] On 21 March, a suspension of all inter-provincial transport for three days was imposed. No public transport vehicles were allowed to either enter or leave the province. It warned that violators would be punished under the Epidemic Diseases Act.^[98]

Islamabad

On 21 March, the city administration imposed Section 144 on the region for 15 days. All restaurants and shopping malls were ordered to be closed and violators could face legal consequences. ^[99]

Impacts

Sport

Main article: Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on sports § Cricket

Fears of the coronavirus disease spreading alarmed the Sindh provincial government, who announced on 13 March that remaining matches of the 2020 Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled in Karachi, would be played behind closed doors.^{[100][101][102]} Similarly, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) offered international players participating in PSL to leave for their home countries (if they wish so), while PSL continues as per schedule.^[103] 10 international players and one international staff member opted to leave the tournament.^[104] The Final match in Lahore, was rescheduled to 18 March instead of 22 March.^[105]

On 17 March 2020, the knockout fixtures (both Semi Finals and Final) of Pakistan Super League (PSL) were indefinitely postponed due to the sudden spike in coronavirus cases in Pakistan.^[106][107]

After six years, when Pakistan Football Federation League returned, the matches were played before 16 March 2020. On 16 March 2020, the Pakistan Football Federation released a notification announcing that the matches were postponed.^{[citation needed]}

Statistics

The table and graphs below shows the confirmed COVID-19 cases as per the daily report published by the National Institute of Health. ^[b][1]

COVID-19 in Pakistan by Province and territory (Last Updated 03/23/2020 06:55 UTC)

Province or territory
	Cases	Deaths	Recoveries	Active Cases	Cases / 1M. People
Punjab	225	0	0	225	2.045
Sindh	333	1	4	328	6.954
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	31	3	0	28	0.873
Balochistan	108	1	0	107	8.749
Azad Kashmir	1	0	0	1	0.247
Gilgit-Baltistan	71	1	0	71	3.737
Islamabad	15	0	2	13	14.781
Grand Total	784	6	5	773	3.694