PESHAWAR: The government on Sunday ordered reopening of Manga union council in Mardan where 57,000 people remained in quarantine for two weeks after outbreak of Covid-19.

The area was reopened after carrying out insecticidal spray, a press release issued by the office of Mardan deputy commissioner said. The remaining areas would be opened shortly, it said.

The release said that a complete lockdown had been enforced in the area that reported first death of Covid-19 in the country. The area registered more cases a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, Ajmal Wazir, adviser to chief minister, said in a video press conference that of the total 92 admitted patients of coronavirus, 87 were stable, five in critical condition while 210 were under home quarantine and 30 patients were sent home after full recovery.

He said that Chief Minister Mahmood Khan himself monitored the situation following the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Two more die of coronavirus in Swat

“All our ministers and members of National Assembly and provincial assemblies are in the field to deal with the situation. Timely steps taken by the provincial government to protect public from the infection is paying off,” he said.

PACKAGE: He said that the relief package would be distributed through Ehsas Programme that would benefit more than 2.1 million families.

Each family will get Rs12,000 one-time cash for four months, to be followed by more Rs6,000 one-time of three months under the provincial relief package.

Mr Wazir said that the package would be distributed through information management system and 3,600 distribution points would be established for which the provincial government would develop a mechanism with federal government.

He said that chief minister also issued special instructions for the care of children suffering from thalassaemia in the current emergency situation so that they did not face any obstruction in blood supply.

In Mansehra, a prayer leader and his expatriate nephew tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday and were shifted to quarantine centre in King Abdullah Teaching Hospital.

“We have shifted a prayer leader and his nephew after their samples taken some two days ago proven to be positive,” Dr Yasir Khan, the deputy medical superintendent of King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, said.

The family members of the patients were also quarantined in their houses.

In Upper Dir, the authorities said they recorded 12 confirmed cases on Sunday bringing the tally to 21 cases in the district.

Two of the confirmed patients had recovered and sent home. However, the results of many tests were still awaited.

Deputy Commissioner Khalid Iqbal Khattak and DHO Dr Fayyaz Ali once again appealed to the people to stay indoors and maintain social distancing.

IN Swat, Covid-19 claimed two more lives after which the death tally reached three in the district.

According to DHO Dr Akram Shah, six new persons, who tested positive for Covid-19, had attended funeral prayer in Matta tehsil. Earlier seven other persons of the family where the death occurred were also reported positive for Covid-19. The total number of the people affected by the virus after attending the funeral prayers reached 13.

With 18 new suspected cases, the number of the total suspected patients reached 236 in Swat.

In Haripur, four family members of a Covid-19 suspect were shifted to quarantine centre and their samples were collected and sent to NIH for analysis, Deputy Commissioner retired Captain Nadeem Nasir said.

He said that as precautionary measure the rapid response team was sent to the home of suspected patients that collected throat swab of his wife and three male members of his family and sent to NIH.

Meanwhile, he said that four members of his family were shifted to quarantine centre.

The official said that of the total 71 suspected patients, 38 tested negative and only four were positive, who were home quarantined.

In Mohmand tribal district, a 20-year-old woman suspected of Covid-19 was shifted to quarantine centre in district headquarters hospital, said Deputy Commissioner Iftikhar Alam.

He said that her swab samples were sent for laboratory tests. He said that the husband of the woman had arrived from Italy three weeks ago.

In Nowshera, total positives cases of coronavirus reached on Sunday to 13 as six more positives cases including two security guards of Qazi Medical Complex were reported in the district.

The new cases were registered mostly in those areas where district administration had already quarantined their families, said Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan.

He said that three positive cases belonged to the family a member of Tableeghi Jamaat in Akbar Pura as his daughter and two other relatives were affected by the virus while one of his relatives tested negative.

He said that two security guards of Qazi Medical Complex and one security guard of Azakhel were also affected by the virus.

The official said that a member of Tableeghi Jamaat, who returned from abroad, also tested positive and was already quarantined.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2020