HYDERABAD: Ten family members of a virus-infected policeman tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, drawing calls from police authorities for conducting more tests in the locality where the cop’s family was living to avert further spread of the contagion.

The policeman, who performed duty as a guard with CIA Centre’s in-charge, had tested positive for the virus out of 31 policemen who were exposed to an infected suspect. All the policemen who came into contact with the suspect had undergone tests.

After his family members living in Khaskheli Mohalla in Makki Shah area, a densely populated locality, were found to be positive they were being shifted to Kohsar isolation centre for treatment.

The cop’s case prompted police authorities to ask district administration to go for more tests in the locality to contain possible spread of the virus in the area.

Another batch of 17 policemen posted in A-Section police station in Latifabad had also undergone tests besides the CIA policemen as they too had been in contact with the same suspect but none of them were found to be positive. They were quarantined within the police station but were allowed to go home after their tests.

On Wednesday, 13 new cases out of 19 tests of the infection were confirmed in the district. The six remaining patients belonged to districts other than Hyderabad where a total number of 19 patients were admitted to Liaquat University Hospital’s (LUH) isolation ward as of April 22.

The policeman’s case also indicates a new trend of secondary spread of novel coronavirus in Hyderabad, which has started witnessing fast spread of local transmission over the past few days.

In some cases some patients have arrived in Hyderabad from Karachi and Larkana, who infected other family members in the city.

Nine test positive

SHIKARPUR: Nine out of 24 members of Tableeghi Jamaat tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday.

District Health Officer Dr Shabbir Ahmed Shaikh said that a total of 238 Jamaat members were quarantined in madressahs and the infected ones were shifted to the isolation centre in Labour Colony Sukkur for treatment.

SUKKUR: Eighty members of Jamaat staying in different areas in Kandhkot-Kashmore district were sent back to their hometowns on Wednesday.

The district administration had arranged two coaches out of government funds to send the members of the Jamaat to their hometowns and gifted them Sindhi caps and ajraks before their departure.

Lab in Larkana soon

LARKANA: Laboratory for carrying out tests for Covid-19 will be made functional in Larkana within a couple of days as most of its machinery has arrived, according to Deputy Commissioner Noman Siddiq.

He said while visiting an intensive care unit for Covid-19 patients set up in oncology unit of Chandka Medical College Teaching Hospital on Wednesday that the laboratory would cater to the needs of suspected cases of the virus infection from Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Dadu, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Kashmore-Kandhkot districts.

The establishment of a modern laboratory here would enable the authorities to face mounting load of patients under the obtaining conditions, he said, adding that with the passage of time, the facility could further be expanded.

Chandka Medical College Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Irshad Hussain Kazmi said that he had proposed two spaces available at the central laboratory at CMCH and another adjacent to the ICU for setting up the laboratory.

He said the ICU would have additional four beds exclusively for high-dependency unit and 22 ventilators along with other essential accessories and trained staff.

The unit equipped with modern facilities, the first of its kind in Larkana division, had been established in the light of Sindh chief minister’s directives, he said.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2020