ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance & Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra has confirmed first two deaths of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Mardan and Peshawar while the number of virus-infected patients has climbed to 447 across the Country.
“Sad to report one patient who passed away in Mardan,” Taimur Khan Jhagra said in one of his tweets on Wednesday.
Later in another tweet, he confirmed the death of another Coronavirus patient at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in Peshawar. He told that the patient was 36 and he belonged to Hangu.
1. A long day and a sad night. We have lost two human lives to a challenge the likes of which I have not seen in my life. And yet we must overcome.
Can I request for the every influencer, and everyone in the media, to prevail upon the public to do the right thing?— Taimur Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra) March 18, 2020
The Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirz also confirmed the death in Mardan, saying that the deceased was a 50-year-old man who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia wherein he had gone to perform Umrah.
With deep regret I confirm the death of first Pakistani due to #coronavirus. A 50 yr old male from Mardan recently returned from Umra, developed fever, cough & breathing difficulty and tested +ve for corona virus. Contacts are being screened. Our condolences to the family. <262>
— Zafar Mirza (@zfrmrza) March 18, 2020
However, Dr Zafar Mirza dismissed the media reports of the death of a Coronavirus patient in Gilgit-Baltistan. He said that the patient was tested negative for the COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the number of Coronavirus-infected patients in the Country has reached 447 whereas the worst-affected Sindh has witnessed new Cases that have brought the number of patients to 245 in the province.
Likewise, Punjab has so far recorded 78 Coronavirus Cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 23, Balochistan 81, GB 12, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 7, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 1.
I can confirm that there are 33 confirmed #COVID19 patients in Punjab. 20 Zaireen quarantined in DG Khan tested positive & have been shifted to hosiptal. 6 patients in Lahore, 5 in Multan and 2 in Gujrat are also under treatment. Best possible facilities r being provided to them.
— Usman Buzdar (@UsmanAKBuzdar) March 18, 2020
Overall, 1,102 new COVID-19 Cases have surfaced and 20 new deaths have been recorded in 181 Countries worldwide.
The data shows that 245,996 people across the globe have so far been affected by the virus, of whom 88,465 got recovered but 10,048 couldn’t survive.
The most affected Countries are still Italy, China, and Iran in terms of fatalities wherein the death tolls have amounted to 3,405, 3,248, and 1,284 respectively by now.
