Category: Uncategorized

  • CM Buzdar rubbishes reports of first COVID-19 death, says deceased tested negative

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar has rubbished reports claiming that the individual who passed away at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital was suffering from the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — and marked the first fatality in Pakistan due to the global pandemic.

    Earlier, it was reported that Pakistan’s first death due to coronavirus had been reported in Lahore. Reports that had come following a viral video that showed the deceased being brought out of the hospital in a coffin by staff in hazmat suits, had not drawn any official statements except Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid saying that results of the patient’s coronavirus test were still awaited.

    A private media outlet had, however, quoted health officials as saying that the patient “did die due to coronavirus”.

    “We have received test reports of Imran Ali, who lost his life in Mayo Hospital, and his cause of death was not #COVID19. So far Punjab has 8 confirmed cases and are being provided best available treatment [sic],” Buzdar tweeted later in the day.

    He further urged everyone “to act responsibly” in these testing times.

  • VIDEO: Watch Usman Buzdar protect himself from coronavirus

    Chief Minister Buzdar has recently been tweeting about the pandemic and what Punjab is doing to control its spread. The largest province has eerily been silent on the issue, confirming only six cases compared to Sindh’s 155 cases and the CM has faced much criticism for keeping quiet on the issue. The government has yet to confirm whether a suspected coronavirus case has died this morning in Mayo hospital.

    READ MORE: VIDEO: Suspected coronavirus patient at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital passes away

    Admist the confusion, CM Buzdar was recently seen protecting himself from the virus by getting his temperature checked and also using hand sanitizer to promote safety.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    CM Buzdar getting his temperature checked and using hand sanitizer

    RELATED: All the coronavirus updates you need to know

    Punjab has yet to reveal how they are controlling the spread of the pandemic or how they have managed to control it since only six cases have emerged in the province.

  • Coronavirus: PM wants rich countries to waive off Pakistan, other poor countries’ loans

    Coronavirus: PM wants rich countries to waive off Pakistan, other poor countries’ loans

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that rich countries should waive off the loans of poor countries in order to help the latter curb spread of the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — that has become a global pandemic.

    In an interview to a foreign media outlet, the premier predicted that the novel coronavirus would destroy the economy of developing countries. 

    “In case we get swamped by this virus, our health facilities will not be able to cope with it,” he added.

    He also urged the United States (US) to lift sanctions over Iran as they were in a terrible state due to the pandemic and the sanctions had already impoverished Tehran.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    To a question, PM Imran regretted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s statement about Taliban. “Solution to the Afghan conflict lies in talks between the shareholders.”

    He said after coming to power, his government had worked on the Afghan Peace Deal with the US and Pakistan was an ally of the US for peace as he had always opposed Islamabad’s inclusion in the war against terror.

    “An extremist government is ruling over India and I have apprised the United Nations (UN) about the grave rights violations of Muslims in India by the Modi government,” he said.

  • Karachi King’s Alex Hales being tested for coronavirus

    PSL’s Karachi King’s player Alex Hales is being tested for coronavirus, confirms Rameez Raja. He showed symptoms of the virus after he reached England and is currently in isolation. All the broadcasters and cricketer affiliated with the PSL will have to undergo coronavirus tests before heading home – whether that is in Pakistan or outside of it.

    The final matches of the PSL were postponed indefinitely amidst the coronavirus crisis.

    Raja confirms the news and also says that he and other members of the PSL are being tested for the virus. Earlier, Geo Reporter Arfa Feroz Zake had confirmed the news.

    The total cases of the coronavirus in Pakistan has hit 193.

  • VIDEO: Suspected coronavirus patient at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital passes away

    VIDEO: Suspected coronavirus patient at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital passes away

    FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE STORY WITH PUNJAB CM’S STATEMENT

    A suspected patient of the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — on Tuesday passed away at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital where he was under treatment since developing symptoms following his return from Iran.

    While some reports quote official sources as saying that the patient tested positive for the virus — marking the first fatality in Pakistan due to the global pandemic, others contradict the claim, saying the patient died of liver failure.

    An official confirmation of the circumstances surrounding the suspected coronavirus patient’s death was tweeted by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar later in the day.

    A video available with The Current showed the deceased being brought out of the hospital in a coffin by staff in hazmat suits.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The individual had returned from Iran via the Taftan border crossing and spent 14 days in quarantine, reports said.

    While Ministry of National Health Services had earlier reportedly confirmed the death, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said the deceased patient, who was a native of Hafizabad, had been brought to the hospital on Monday night and the results of his tests were still awaited.

    She added that the deceased was not the first and only confirmed patient of the virus in Lahore, who is still in isolation at the same hospital.

    The minister said that the deceased patient’s blood samples were sent for testing while he had been kept in quarantined isolation at Mayo Hospital.

    The deceased had cleared screening upon arriving in the country.

    This was a developing story

  • PSL 5 postponed indefinitely

    After a foreign player, who had left last week displayed symptoms of the coronavirus, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has postponed the last few remaining matches of the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    Read more – Karachi King’s Alex Hales being tested for coronavirus

    The knockout matches of PSL were scheduled to be played in Lahore today (Tuesday) – Peshawar Zalmi was scheduled to play against Multan Sultans in the afternoon while Lahore Qalandars was set to face Karachi Kings in the evening. However, the semi-finals and the final have been postponed indefinitely keeping in mind the prevailing situation.

    Addressing a press conference alongside other PCB officials, CEO PCB Wasim Khan said that the decision was taken to ensure the safety of the players, match officials, commentators and ground staff. Though he did not name the player to maintain privacy, Khan said that players from all the teams, the broadcasters and everyone else associated with the tournament would be tested for the virus.

    At least 14 foreign players had decided to return to their own countries last week after the PCB gave them the option to leave amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    In an official statement, the board said, “The PCB, as part of its duty of care, has made arrangements for all the players and players support staff of the four semi-finalists, match officials, franchise owners and production crew to undergo precautionary tests and has strongly advised them to wait for the results prior to undertaking any travel.”

    “This is an unprecedented situation, which is evolving with each passing day. The PCB has closely monitored the situation and had taken precautionary measures including consultation with relevant authorities and temperature screening of players, officials and media on match and non-match days.”

    “The PCB believes it has made the right decisions in the lead up to the postponement of the tournament that included consulting the team owners, holding the matches behind closed doors, allowing the players the option to withdraw from the tournament, rescheduling of the matches and reducing the number of event days,” Khan added.

    While PCB has suspended its all domestic competitions and cricket activities, for now, the PCB chief asserted that the semi-final and final matches would be rescheduled before the next season of the PSL.

    Meanwhile is being reported that Alex Hales of Karachi Kings has shown symptoms of coronavirus and is currently undergoing tests.

  • ‘Recovered’ coronavirus patient dies

    A 36-year-old man, who was discharged from one of the makeshift hospitals built to contain the coronavirus outbreak, has died of respiratory failure in Wuhan, according to a report by a Shanghai-based news portal.

    South China Morning Post quoted the news portal as reporting that Li Liang had been admitted to the hospital built to treat patients with mild and moderate symptoms on February 12, according to his wife, surnamed Mei. He was discharged two weeks later with instructions to stay in a quarantine hotel for 14 days.

    Mei said her husband was not feeling well two days after leaving the hospital, with a dry mouth and gaseous stomach. On March 2, Li said he felt sick and was sent to a hospital, where he was later certified dead.

    The death certificate issued by the Wuhan health commission said the direct cause was COVID-19, and listed respiratory blockage and failure as the symptoms which could have led to his death.

    Since the death earlier this month, Fangcang Hospital — one of Wuhan’s makeshift facilities — has been issuing emergency notices saying that more discharged patients have been readmitting after falling ill again. The hospital is currently conducting antibody tests on all patients before discharging them, to ensure they are fully recovered.

    Last month, Xinhua — the official state-run Chinese press agency — had reported that the country had discharged a total of 36,117 patients from hospitals after recovery.

    The criteria for deciding if a patient has recovered varied between provinces, but in general, Chinese hospitals required people to test negative twice in a row, and to show no obvious symptoms such as a fever. Patients who were released were supposed to check in with their hospital and could face retesting — which was when some tested positive again.

    The Current had also quoted a key Chinese respiratory disease expert as saying that some discharged coronavirus patients could still carry the virus and be infectious, potentially posing another complication to Beijing’s efforts to control the epidemic.

    Zhao Jianping, the head of the coronavirus containment team in worst-affected Hubei province, had said a minority of patients who were discharged from hospital after tests showed they were negative for the virus later tested positive again. China counts patients whose throat or nose swabs show up positive for the virus in a nucleic acid test, and those whose CT scans show lesions in their lungs, as infected cases.

  • Coronavirus: ‘Don’t panic,’ says Imran’s aide as Pakistan records highest single-day rise in cases

    Coronavirus: ‘Don’t panic,’ says Imran’s aide as Pakistan records highest single-day rise in cases

    Pakistan on Monday recorded its biggest single-day spike in coronavirus infections, taking the tally to 184, amid reports of ineffective quarantine procedures many of those are reported to be among those who had been held at a quarantine camp at the country’s Taftan border crossing with Iran.

    Dera Ghazi Khan authorities confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus on Monday, raising the provincial count to two cases. The patient, who was among the 814 persons quarantined at a facility in DG Khan, had arrived from the Taftan border. DG Khan Health CEO said that the patient, a resident of Layyah, had been shifted to Indus Hospital Muzaffargarh.

    DG Khan Commissioner Naseem Sadiq said that another five patients, suspected of having contracted the virus, had also been shifted to Indus Hospital Muzaffargarh

    With an addition of 47 new cases, the tally of coronavirus cases in Sindh reached 150. According to a spokesperson for the Sindh health department, 119 of the cases arrived in Sukkur from Taftan, 30 are from Karachi while one is from Hyderabad. Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said that the “exponential increase is largely due to the recent inflow of people brought in from Taftan after a purported quarantine”.

    Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed the provincial police chief to carry out raids on stores and pharmacies that are selling overpriced tissue papers, hand sanitisers and anti-septics.

    The Sindh government is also contemplating closing restaurants and tea shops by 9 pm, as the number of coronavirus cases in the province continues to rise. “I am now adopting a zero-tolerance policy,” Chief Minister Shah was quoted as saying in a statement by his media consultant. “If our people stay out and visit eateries until late at night, I will shut down restaurants and hotels,” Shah added.

    However, as per the government data, no deaths due to the coronavirus have been recorded.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan also chaired a meeting of the country’s national coordination committee on COVID-19. No major announcements were made following the meeting.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) also reported its first cases of coronavirus, confirming 15 positive cases. KP Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra tweeted that 15 out of 19 individuals who arrived in the province from Taftan have tested positive for the virus.

    “They are being well looked after in quarantine in an isolated facility in Dera Ismail Khan,” he wrote.

    ‘DON’T PANIC’:

    With the coronavirus scare intensifying due to the sudden spike in the number of infections in Pakistan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that the government has extended its emergency measures, including travel restrictions and a ban on public gatherings to the entire country to tackle the coronavirus.

    Addressing a press conference, Dr Mirza said that there was no immediate need to lockdown cities in the country as the situation is “still under control”.

    He assured the public that the current preventive measures adopted by the health ministry are sufficient to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pakistan, adding, that measures would be tightened up if the situation turns more serious.

  • Police arrest shopkeeper for selling overpriced hand sanitizers

    Police arrest shopkeeper for selling overpriced hand sanitizers

    A shopkeeper was arrested for selling hand sanitizers at inflated prices in Karachi.

    As per reports, the police had raided a pharmacy in Dolmen Mall, Clifton and arrested a shopkeeper who was allegedly selling sanitizers at more than four times the original market price. He was arrested for violating Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

    As the number of coronavirus cases hit 184, there is a shortage of hand sanitizers and face masks at the grocery stores across the country.

    People have been directed to use hand sanitizer to protect themselves from the pandemic.

    Earlier, the police had arrested another shopkeeper for selling a bottle of hand sanitizer at Rs 1,000. A case was registered against him and 288 bottles of sanitizer were seized from his possession.

  • Javeria Saud claims an artist tried to destroy her marriage

    Javeria Saud claims an artist tried to destroy her marriage

    Pakistani actors Javeria and Saud got married a few years ago. While the couple was getting married there was some negative gossip doing the rounds on social media.

    Javeria Saud recently appeared in an interview on Waseem Badami’s show where she told that an artist tried to spread rumours about her and her husband Saud.

    “During my wedding days, people started spreading rumours about me that ‘I have two children’. Some people told my mother that ‘it is Saud’s second marriage’ and ‘he is already married’. Our families revealed this after we got married.

    When Waseem Badami asked, who was that person, she replied, “It was one of the artists who did this. She came to our home after we got married and just asked her to leave our house. The same artist did this and everyone knows her.”

    While Javeria did not reveal the name of the artist who spread gossip about her and Saud, she mentioned that she has forgiven her.

    Watch the interview here:

    The couple got married in 2005 and they have two children together. The couple is also the co-owner of a production house JJS Productions since 2006.