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  • VIDEO: Minister Saeed Ghani tests positive for coronavirus

    VIDEO: Minister Saeed Ghani tests positive for coronavirus

    Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. 

    The minister tweeted a video message to reveal that he had tested positive for the virus.

    “The previous day I got myself tested for the coronavirus and the results came back positive,” he said. “However, I am not feeling any of the symptoms of the virus and feel completely fine.”

    In the video message, Ghani went on to advise people he came into contact with a few days ago to isolate themselves and go into quarantine. 

    “If your health deteriorates further, please get yourselves checked by a doctor,” he said. “I consider it my responsibility to inform people so that those who came into contact with me can also quarantine and self-isolate themselves as I may have transmitted the infection to them.”

  • Fact Check: Does Sana Hashwani of ‘Sana Safinaz’ have COVID-19?

    Fact Check: Does Sana Hashwani of ‘Sana Safinaz’ have COVID-19?

    Claim: Sana Hashwani of the clothing brand Sana Safinaz has COVID-19

    Fact: Sana Safinaz verified through a public announcement on their Instagram that she did not contract the virus

    While dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is stressful enough, the misinformation and fake information that comes along with it is even more nerve-wrecking.

    Late last week, rumours were doing the rounds that Sana Hashwani, who is the co-owner of the fashion brand Sana Safinaz has been tested positive for the coronavirus. It was also being said that her daughter also has it and that the two attended a party despite knowing.

    Below is a screenshot of a message that was being circulated on social media.

    screenshot in social media circulation

    Following this, the brand posted an official announcement clarifying that the designer did not have the novel coronavirus and urged people not to spread misinformation. Sana’s medical reports were also shared as further proof.

    “Sana returned from the UK and took a test as a precaution so as to not endanger family members with compromised immunity,” the statement read. “She has tested negative but nonetheless placed herself under self-isolation as any sensible person returning from abroad should do at this time.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-C9G4IgJXL/?utm_source=ig_embed

    The brand also urged the public to be more careful while sharing information and passing on “unverified slander and gossip.”

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • ‘China manipulated number of COVID-19 infections for president’s visit’

    ‘China manipulated number of COVID-19 infections for president’s visit’

    The number of novel coronavirus patients in Wuhan, the epicenter of China’s virus outbreak, was manipulated in time for President Xi Jinping’s visit last week, a local doctor was quoted as saying by Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

    According to the Japanese media outlet, a number of symptomatic patients were abruptly released from quarantine early while a portion of testing was suspended.

    China’s health authorities had last Thursday reported no new cases of coronavirus in Wuhan, marking the first time for the city to have no instances of local transmission since the viral epidemic began late last year.

    But the doctor, who works at a quarantine facility, said the government tally “cannot be trusted.”

    The number of patients currently undergoing treatment is deliberately being reduced in an effort to show the Xi government’s success in combatting the epidemic, he said.

    The doctor, whose responsibilities include determining whether a patient is discharged from a hospital, expressed strong concerns that if the truth remains hidden from the public, another outbreak could occur.

    Guidelines from the National Health Commission stipulate that patients must test negative for the virus twice and be cleared for pneumonia via a computerised tomography — imaging through X-rays or ultrasound — scan before being discharged.

    But according to the doctor, from around the time of Xi’s visit, even though his patients still exhibited signs of pneumonia, the patients were released from quarantine at the discretion of a “specialist” from the epidemic prevention and control authority.

    From then on, the criteria for discharging patients became loose, and “a mass release of infected patients began,” he said.

    Also, patient interviews with those exhibiting symptoms such as fever were simplified, and blood tests to detect antibodies produced during infection were discontinued. As a result, “suspected patients were released back into society,” he said.

    Xi, on March 10, made his first visit to the central Chinese city of Wuhan since the outbreak began, emphasizing the government’s achievements in its epidemic prevention and control efforts.

    According to the National Health Commission, nearly 58,000 people have been discharged from hospitals in Hubei Province, where Wuhan is the capital. Beginning in mid-March, the number of new infections in Wuhan has stayed below a dozen patients a day.

  • Pakistan is the happiest country in South Asia, 66th in the world

    Pakistan is the happiest country in South Asia, 66th in the world

    The United Nations (UN) on World Happiness Day (March 20) released its World Happiness Report which ranked 156 nations according to how happy their citizens are. The report placed Pakistan on the 66th position making it the happiest country in South Asia. Pakistan was previously at the 67th position and has improved its ranking in the recent report. Meanwhile, India has slipped from the 140th to the 144th position, making it one of the most unhappy nations in the world.

    The happiest nation in the world is Finland, who is receiving the honour for the third consecutive year. At number two and three is Denmark and Switzerland followed by Iceland at number four and Norway at number 5.

    Countries are ranked on six key variables that support well-being including income, freedom, trust, healthy life expectancy, social support and generosity.

    One of the authors of the report John Helliwell in a statement said, “The happiest countries are those ‘where people feel a sense of belonging’, where they trust and enjoy each other and their shared institutions. There is also more resilience, because shared trust reduces the burden of hardships, and thereby lessens the inequality of well-being.”

    However, the impact of the lockdowns imposed by several countries due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak has not been taken into account. Much of the data was collected in the years 2018 and 2019. The author of the report predicts that the lockdown conditions imposed on residents could, paradoxically, boost happiness in future.

    In a first, the report also compared happiness and well-being in different cities. While Helsinki in Finland topped the list, Karachi was declared the happiest city of Pakistani and South Asia at number 117 followed by Lahore on the 122nd spot. The happiest cities in the world include Aarhus, Denmark (2), Wellington, New Zealand (3), Zurich, Switzerland (4), Copenhagen, Denmark (5) and Bergen, Norway (6).

    On the other hand, Kabul is the least happy city followed by Sanaa in Yemen and Palestine’s Gaza.

  • Military discusses assisting govt in war on coronavirus

    Military discusses assisting govt in war on coronavirus

    The top military brass has held a special meeting to discuss the measures taken by the military to support the federal and provincial governments in the fight against the coronavirus.

    According to the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), corps commanders took part in the meeting via videolink.

    The commanders expressed resolve to assist the government in its efforts to contain the pandemic. It may be noted here that Punjab and Balochistan government have sought the army’s help to impose the lockdown in the provinces.

    On Saturday, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa directed the Pakistan Army to fast-track operations to help out the civil administration as the country grapples with a rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak.

    “As a follow up of National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting on March 20 chaired by the Prime Minister Imran Khan and COAS’ meeting with PM, the COAS directs for stepping up Army’s assistance to civil administration for containment of COVID-19,” the military’s media-wing had said in a statement.

  • Are you kidding us, Khan Sahib?

    Are you kidding us, Khan Sahib?

    Coronavirus pandemic has changed the dynamics of the entire world. Self-isolation, a concept most of us are not familiar with, will slowly but surely become necessary in the coming days. As Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau said, “For a little while, this will be our new normal.”

    But while Trudeau and very few other world leaders, including New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, declare war on the pandemic, others, among whom is PM Imran Khan, still don’t appear to be understanding the gravity of the situation at hand.

    Four coronavirus patients have died in Pakistan — three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and one in Sindh. The number of cases is rapidly increasing (645 in less than a month), and if a nationwide lockdown isn’t put in place, it will continue to rise exponentially.

    After sticking to his mantra of ‘ghabrana nahi hai [don’t panic]’ for the past few days, the premier does no longer seem very sure if the masses should panic or not.

    “Pakistan cannot afford to impose a total lockdown. 25% of the people in the country live below the poverty line,” PM Imran said in his second address to the nation in three days on Sunday. “What will happen to them if I go ahead with the lockdown?”

    The premier added that if the economic situation of the country had been like that of Italy and China, he would have thought about imposing a lockdown. “Let me tell you what a lockdown is. A lockdown means putting a curfew and restricting people to their homes with the military on the streets,” he said.

    The situation escalated in Italy and China, Khan Sahib, evidently because the authorities didn’t impose a lockdown until it was too late.

    Your address to the nation and recent interaction with journalists were not exactly what we had hoped for. We understand you are worried about the poor, the daily wagers, the economy and many other things.

    But…

    After shutting down as much as the provincial governments already have, after the closure of educational institutions and the bearish trend in PSX amid global sell-out on COVID-19 fears, what further closures would a total lockdown entail?

    All international air operations are already closed. Most borders are closed. Wedding halls, shopping malls, restaurants are already shut. Massive unemployment has already been created. Moving towards total lockdown at this stage will presumably have a very little marginal impact.

    Is it paralysis of analysis which appears to be the hallmark of decision-making behind closed doors in Islamabad for quite some time now?

    In case of a total lockdown, what matters the most is taking care of the neglected segments of society – that they keep on receiving life support cash allowances or food aid. For starters, 50% of the budget of both civil and defence annual development programmes should be placed in a welfare account for such activities.

    Welfare… isn’t that what you promised, Khan Sahib?

    We know that a lockdown or delaying a lockdown is akin to be caught between a rock and a hard place. We understand that this is an immensely difficult and unforeseen situation but the government must act fast.

    Let’s learn from the mistakes made by countries that are the worst-hit by the new coronavirus, and try not to repeat them. 

    Lockdown does not mean that coronavirus cases will end, but it will definitely flatten the curve. This is what Pakistan needs to do. Our healthcare facilities are not equipped to deal with the impending crisis.

  • Coronavirus puts Princess Beatrice’s wedding plans in a flux

    Princess Beatrice has cancelled her wedding reception in Buckingham Palace amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

    The princess, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was set to marry her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on May 29. But she may now have to delay that date for the ceremony, after canceling the reception.

    In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “Princess Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi are very much looking forward to getting married but are equally aware of the need to avoid undertaking any unnecessary risks in the current circumstances.

    “In line with government advice for the UK and beyond, the couple are reviewing their arrangements for 29th May. They are particularly conscious of government advice in relation to both the wellbeing of older family members and large gatherings of people.

    “Therefore, the planned reception in the Buckingham Palace Gardens will not take place. The couple will carefully consider government advice before deciding whether a private marriage might take place amongst a small group of family and friends.”

    Princess Beatrice and her fiancé intended to use the marquees and portaloos in the palace gardens, which are erected each year for the garden parties, for the reception of their wedding.

    But the palace had to cancel this summer’s parties amid the ongoing pandemic.

    Meanwhile, the Queen has moved to Windsor early because of the coronavirus outbreak and is joined by Prince Philip. As she arrived in Windsor, she released a statement on the ongoing pandemic saying that “my family and I stand ready to play our part.”

  • Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs open hotels to NHS staff free of charge to deal with coronavirus outbreak

    Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs open hotels to NHS staff free of charge to deal with coronavirus outbreak

    Former Man United footballer Gary Neville has announced that the two hotels he part-owns with former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs will be made available free of charge to NHS workers.

    National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system in England, and one of the four National Health Service systems in the United Kingdom. It is the largest single-payer healthcare system in the world.

    Hotel Football, located near Old Trafford, and The Stock Exchange in the city centre are owned by the pair through their GG Hospitality group.

    It comes after Premier League club Chelsea offered NHS workers free accommodation for the next two months at the Millennium Hotel at its Stamford Bridge ground to help with the COVID-19 outbreak.

    The cost of the rooms will be covered by club owner Roman Abramovich.

    Neville said he and Giggs will do the same, with the scheme in place from Friday onwards in order to help accommodate medical workers during the coronavirus crisis.

    “Over the last week we have been in consultation with the health services in the Greater Manchester area, in particular the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust,” Neville said in a video posted on social media.

    “Our 176 beds will be occupied by National Health Service workers and medical professionals from Friday onwards.

    “It’s at this time that I think the whole of our industry needs to show solidarity, not just for our staff in these uncertain times but obviously for those who need the accommodation most in the coming months.

    “It’s something we’re delighted to have come into agreement with. It will operate free of charge and our staff will operate the hotels as normal.

    “The health workers will be able to stay there without any cost whatsoever in these next few months when they need isolation away from family members who may be affected by what’s going on.

    “Stay safe and we wish everybody all the best.”

    Chelsea said in its statement on Wednesday: “Many of the medical staff will be working long shifts and may not be able to travel home or would otherwise have to make long commutes. Local accommodation helps maintain the health and well-being of these crucial personnel at this critical time.

    “This will be for a two-month period, and then reconsidered in light of circumstances at the time. NHS staff will be those working in hospitals in the North-West London region, but that may extend to hospitals in other districts.”

    It added: “The number of rooms utilised will depend on demand but potentially all the rooms in the Millennium Hotel could be given over for this purpose. No staff showing symptoms will use the hotel.

    “Millennium Hotels and Resorts, who manage the hotel, are supportive and assisting the club in providing this service to the NHS.”

  • Trescothick broke Kevin Pietersen’s nose at a karaoke party in Lahore

    Former England opener Marcus Trescothick revealed one of his favourite off-field stories, which included Kevin Pietersen, karaoke and a party in Lahore!

    While speaking on the Barmy Army podcast, Trescothick recalled a particularly memorable night in Pakistan where they engaged in karaoke and the story ended with Kevin Pietersen getting his nose broken.

    “There was one night in Lahore of all places. After the 2005 (Ashes) series, so the end of 2005.”

    “We lost the second Test match and the series was over. Vodafone had organised a karaoke night for us in the hotel. It was just for the players and the staff but everyone was so annoyed and disappointed that only about eight of us turned up,” he said.

    Trescothick spoke about how tough it was to get drink in Pakistan and so when they finally got some, they could not control despite losing the series.

    “We had this massive room and a karaoke machine. You know how hard it is to get a drink in Pakistan, it’s nigh on impossible. We had all this beer, tequila and stuff that had rocked up from the high commission.

    “There were about eight of us there just messing around and it turned into one of the most entertaining karaoke nights I have ever heard. I think it was me, KP, Paul Nixon, Hoggard was there and Jim the guy from Vodafone,” he recalled.

    When asked who the best singer among them was, Trescothick replied he had no idea before revealing that he ended up headbutting Kevin Pietersen and the latter was left with a broken nose.

    “I can’t remember because we were absolute smashed to bits. I remember headbutting KP and I thought I’d broken his nose.

    “He had pinned me down on the floor and I just went ‘bang’ like that and nutted him one on the bridge of his nose. We were mucking about.

    “In the middle of Lahore, in this hotel where no one else knows and behind closed doors — it was the best karaoke singing you’ve ever heard. At the end of it all of us, all eight of us or whatever it was, got on stage and just sang to the empty room,” said Trescothick.

  • COVID-19: Doctors accuse govt of providing free test kits to Shaukat Khanum but not public hospitals

    As the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — continues to spread in Punjab, Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of providing free test kits to Shaukat Khanum Hospital but not public sector hospitals.

    Addressing a press conference in Lahore, YDA office demanded safety kits for the entire staff of hospitals dealing with suspected coronavirus patients, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, and termed the arrangements made by the government as insufficient.

    They said that the safety kits provided to the doctors in hospitals were not according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and they were working under highly vulnerable circumstances. “The N95 masks are not available in the hospitals despite the fact that the staff treating [COVID-19] patients used the same mask in all hospitals worldwide,” the doctors said.

    President of YDA Punjab Dr Salman Haseeb Chaudhry said that the isolation wards should be established outside the hospitals according to the guidelines of the WHO. “The isolation wards inside the hospitals are high risk,” he said, adding that there was an urgent need of 4,500 ventilators in hospitals to deal with the pandemic but unfortunately Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid had “failed miserably to deal with it”.

    He also accused the government of providing free test kits to Shaukat Khanum Hospital.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “But public sector hospitals are unable to get the same by the government.”

    According to Dr Salman, all doctors, nurses and paramedics were working in very vulnerable circumstances without proper safety kits and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan would be responsible if any unfortunate incident took place.

    Meanwhile, The Express Tribune quoted an official of Shaukat Khanum Hospital as saying that around two dozen citizens approached the hospital for free coronavirus test, of whom the hospital management has conducted tests of eight or nine individuals who had recent travel history, while the remaining citizens were sent back after prescribing medicines.

    He said that the hospital had a limited number of coronavirus test kits that cannot be used for every citizen who has doubt of the infection. Responding to a question, he indicated that the government has notified coronavirus test rate of Rs7,900 but it is being conducted free of cost.

    A representative of a laboratory disclosed that it also has a coronavirus test facility against payment of Rs7,900 as notified by the government. However, several citizens complained that some private hospitals were charging over Rs9,000 for the same test.

    It is pertinent to note that that government has notified 14 laboratories for coronavirus tests, one of which is Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, Lahore.