More than 760,000 passengers who have arrived in Pakistan from foreign countries in recent weeks have been screened for coronavirus as part of the federal government's strategy to prevent the outbreak of this epidemic in Pakistan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said Thursday.
He was presiding over a meeting of the Coronavirus Emergency Core Group.
Speaking at the meeting, Mirza said, not only the federal government but also the provincial governments were "fully capable of responding to the challenge posed by coronavirus, and have made the standby arrangements accordingly."
Mirza said, "From the installation of sophisticated screening systems at the airports to the establishment of isolation wards at the hospitals and assigning dedicated paramedics, we have put everything in place to deal with the coronavirus."
As the epidemic continues to unfold worldwide with more than 3,200 deaths reported and 95,000 persons affected globally, till Thursday, some five confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Pakistan so far.
In respective tweets on February 26, February 29 and March 3, the PM's special assistant on health confirmed these five cases of coronavirus, all of whom are reported to be out of danger.
"It is because of the federal government's effective strategy that only five cases of coronavirus have surfaced in Pakistan so far, and the condition of all the five patients is stable now. We have been able to successfully prevent the outbreak of coronavirus. And with consistency in this strategy, we can fully defeat this epidemic," Dr Zafar Mirza told the Coronavirus Emergency Core Group on Thursday.
He urged the nation not to "pay heed to any rumours over the coronavirus as a vested quarter is trying to mislead people with fake information."
Speaking to the media earlier on Wednesday, Mirza said, so far, there was no need to close schools (as a preventive step against coronavirus) in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and the provinces.
On February 10, the Senate of Pakistan unanimously passed a resolution, which acclaimed "strong leadership of President Xi Jinping in leading the very successful operation to combat coronavirus".
According to the resolution, the Senate expressed its "appreciation for the Government of China for treating Pakistani citizens, especially students in Wuhan just like their own citizens, and providing them protection and comfort."
The resolution said, the Senate extends full cooperation to Chinese brethren in this difficult moment of the coronavirus crisis.
"The Pakistan Senate is the first Parliament in the world to express such solidarity and support to China in the coronavirus crisis."
The Senate resolution lauded the government and the people of China for combating the coronavirus crisis with "dedication, commitment and courage."