PM’s special aide Sania Nishtar tests positive for coronavirus

ISLAMABAD – Special Assistant of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar has tested positive for coronavirus amid fears of second spike of cases in the country. 

Nishtar in tweet said, “I have tested positive for COVID 19 and am isolating myself. I have mild symptoms”.

I have tested positive for COVID 19 and am isolating myself. I have mild symptoms and will, therefore, continue to work from home

— Senator Dr Sania Nishtar (@SaniaNishtar) October 19, 2020

She further said that she will continue to work from home. 

The total active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan have reached to 9,384 as 440 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during the last 24 hours.

Five patients, who were under treatment for the coronavirus died in hospital on Sunday, according to the latest update issued by the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

No COVID affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan, while 74 ventilators elsewhere in Pakistan, out of 1,884 allocated for COVID-19 patients, were occupied.

Some 27,091 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday, including 9,094 in Sindh, 10,033 in Punjab, 3,756 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 2,478 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 892 in Balochistan, 402 in Gilgit Baltistan (GB), and 436 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Around 307,409 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients.

Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 323,452 cases were detected so far, including AJK 3,498, Balochistan 15,688, GB 4,059, ICT 18,069, KP 38,645, Punjab 101,652 and Sindh 101,652.

About 6,659 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion, including 2,581 Sindh among two of them died in hospital on Sunday, 2,298 in Punjab, 1265 in KP, 195 in ICT one of them in hospital on Sunday, 148 in Balochistan one of them in hospital on Sunday, 90 in GB and 82 in AJK one of them in hospital on Sunday.

A total of 4,101,115 coronavirus tests have been conducted so far, while 735 hospitals are equipped with COVID facilities. Some 789 patients were admitted in hospitals across the country.