KARACHI: The Sindh government has established the largest biosafety level-III laboratory at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, having a capacity for testing 2,400 cases daily.

This was stated by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his video message released from the CM House on Thursday.

He said the National Institute of Virology, known as the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, had been transformed into a Covid-19 testing facility. “For the purpose, BSL-III has been completed and equipped with the testing machines and housed with trained staff,” he said and added that the initial capacity of the lab was for testing 800 samples per day and within three weeks this capacity would be ramped up to 2,400 tests per day.

‘The steadily growing number of cases warrants drastic measures’

Mr Shah said that the RNA extraction and RT-PCR kits were being provided to Prof Dr Iqbal Choudhary, the director of the centre, for starting tests. “This is not only big news, but good news too, and finally the government has established the largest testing facility in the public sector,” he said.

Covid-19 cases

The chief minister said that for the second consecutive day Karachi had produced more coronavirus cases, particularly of social spread, adding that “the situation warrants drastic measures”.

He said that 298 cases of the coronavirus emerged on Thursday when 3,373 people were tested. “Out of 298 cases, 202 belong to Karachi,” he said.

Overseas Pakistanis

Sharing the data of stranded Pakistani flown in to Karachi, he said all 913 passengers were tested and 98 of them emerged positive for the virus. All of them had been put under treatment.

He said 22 patients were under treatment at the Ramada Hotel and others at the Expo Centre and in Malir.

The chief minister said his government was taking proper care of the Pakistanis returning to Karachi.

Tableeghi Jamaat members

Mr Shah said the number of Tableeghi Jamaat members had risen to 5,102 and all of them had been tested. “The result showed that 764 were positive, 4,321 negative while the result of 17 samples is yet to come,” he said.

He said the TJ members whose result emerged positive were kept under treatment.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2020