ISLAMABAD: World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Dr Palitha Mahipala has appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to curb the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The WHO representative said that the novel coronavirus epidemic was a public health emergency of international concern and all countries neighboring Pakistan like Iran, Afghanistan, China and India had reported confirmed cases of the diseases.
He said that he was impressed by the swift and diligent efforts by the Pakistani officials in order to handle the crisis.
He added the World Health Organisation was committed to supporting the country every step of the way to stop the deadly diseases. Mahipala further said it is crucially important that countries and international organizations worked for hand in hand to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Screenings of people enter Pakistan from other countries at all points of entry have been established. Screenings are currently being conducted for international travelers who are arriving at airports in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Sialkot and Karachi.
Four cases of coronavirus have been reported in Pakistan two in Sindh and other from Punjab. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has received 157 samples from all over the country, four out of 157 samples, were tested positive for the lethal virus, while 153 samples were tested negative.