BAHAWALPUR: The first case of coronavirus has surfaced here in addition to a couple who were suspected to have contracted the virus. All three were admitted to the Government Civil Hospital on Jhangiwali Road on Sunday.

A 28-year-old man was diagnosed with coronavirus after his test from a private laboratory turned out positive, while the government hospital authorities have dispatched his blood samples for an official laboratory test.

The suspected couple – a staff nurse and her husband -- were shifted to the isolation ward of the Civil Hospital on Saturday night after they displayed some symptoms of the virus.

The man who tested positive, a resident of Model Town C block here, had travelled to Raiwind in Lahore during the last week where it was presumed he might have contracted the virus. Upon his return home, instead of quarantining himself for two weeks, he stayed among his family and continued meeting people in the locality.

About the couple, the nurse was working in the emergency ward of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH). Her husband was said to have returned from a pilgrimage to Iran and allegedly escaped from a quarantine centre.

BVH focal person, Prof Dr Mushtaq Azam, told Dawn that the samples of the couple had been dispatched for laboratory tests and the results were expected by Monday.

Focal person of the Civil Hospital, Dr Muhammad Hamid, confirmed that all three had been isolated in the hospital till their test results were received. The confirmed patient had got his test conducted from a private lab, but his samples had now been sent to a government lab, he added.

SECTION 144 VIOLATION: The district police claimed to have arrested 74 people for violating Section 144 during lockdown across the district, and registered 36 cases.

Meanwhile, the Punjab specialised healthcare department has imposed a ban on vice chancellors of public sector health universities, medical institution principals and medical superintendents of government hospitals from issuing any statement, comments and interviews on coronavirus to electronic or print media across the province.

A circular issued by the provincial health secretary said that in case a medical practitioner had to speak to the media, they would have to seek prior approval of the competent authority. It further added that a list of experts would be issued to the media in case they wanted comments on the virus situation.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2020