KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed provincial minister Imtiaz Sheikh and his relief team to get the required data from the federal government agencies such as the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) so that relief work could be started in the province.

The chief minister held a meeting with his relief team comprising Mr Sheikh, Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, Murtaza Wahab and Haris Gazdar and they told the chief minister that they were ready to start the relief work. “We have requested the federal government agencies such as NDMA and Nadra to provide data they needed.

“We are waiting for data so that work can be started,” they told the chief minister.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to coordinate with federal agencies and get the required data for launching the relief work.

‘61 cases reported in past 24 hours’

Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said that the number of coronavirus cases reached 627, including 293 of local transmission, in the province showing an increase of 61 cases during the past 24 hours.

He said this while reviewing the overall efforts of the government to contain coronavirus in the province here at CM House.

The chief minister said that there were 627 confirmed coronavirus cases in Sindh and 272 or 43 per cent of them were pilgrims, 62 or 10pc had a travel history and 293 or 47pc were local transmission.

He added that as many as 57 cases of local transmission were detected in the province.

“The issue is local transmission and we have to contain it through strict measures,” he said.

The health department told the chief minister that 45 hospitals with 505 beds had been provided with required facilities of isolation and treatment of Covid-19 patients.

The meeting participants were informed that at present 315 patients were under treatment and 30 of them were in stable condition and five were in critical condition. Some 263 are in quarantine at their homes and 42 have recovered while seven patients have died.

The chief minister was informed that the provincial health department had tested 1,388 samples of suspected patients against which 1,329 results were received and 272 of them or 20pc were diagnosed positive.

The chief minister said that the purpose of lockdown would only be served when everyone observed social distancing voluntarily. “I would request our people to please stay home, be safe and let others be safe,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2020