TAXILA: As many as 19 pilgrims, who recently returned from Iran, were shifted to a quarantine camp in Attock from Taftan on Monday, health officials said.

The quarantine centre has been set up in a building at Wapda Colony in the Attock city.

The devotees were taken to the centre escorted by contingents of police and other security forces.

Doctors and paramedical staff at the centre have been provided with special safety kits.

Officials of the local administration and health department visited the camp and reviewed the arrangements for the inmates.

When contacted, executive district officer health Dr Sohail Ijaz said the pilgrims remained at a quarantine camp in Taftan for 14 days and another 14 days in Multan and after screening were shifted to Attock.

He said they would again undergo tests for coronavirus before being allowed to go to their areas in different parts of Attock.Dr Asad Ismail, district health officer preventive services, said two of the pilgrims belonged to the Attock city, 10 were from Jand, four from Pindigheb and three from Hassanabdal.

Responding a question, he said all the pilgrims were being provided facilities free of cost.

In reply to another question, he said at present there was no coronavirus patient in the Attock district.

He said 14 quarantine centres had been established in the district with the capacity to accommodate around 1,035 suspected patients. So far, 2,100 people have been scanned for the virus. He said three of the centres were in Attock, four in Hazro, one each in Hasanabdal and Jand, two in Fatehjang and three in Pindigheb.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2020