Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has announced that no Pakistani would be allowed to travel back to the country from China till they complete a 14-day observation period.
The adviser, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad yesterday, said that the agreement in this regard had been finalised in a meeting held with the Chinese envoy in Pakistan.
However, he informed reporters that further details of the agreement are still being worked out.
Mirza shared that the policy is being implemented after China declared that no Chinese citizen will be allowed to travel abroad till the completion of the 14-day observation period.
“Those declared free of the virus after the period will be issued with a certificate that assures airport officials that they are free from the disease,” Mirza said.
“Through this one measure, we have ensured Pakistan remains free from the disease. Because our case definition says that travelling and staying in China is an important factor [behind the spread of the disease],” he said.
Mirza stated that If Pakistan is able to control the disease in Pakistanis who are present in China, then it has secured the country from the disease, according to information that doctors have at this point.
He also shared with the reporters that the country will soon receive the health kits which would allow the country to detect the virus.
“From Sunday we will start carrying out tests to determine the coronavirus,” he said.
Mirza also shared that, effective immediately, the government will launch an awareness campaign on electronic media regarding the disease.
He said that the campaign will explain the origins of the disease and advise the people on the precautionary measures to be taken.
“The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) chairman has reached out to all the TV channels. Through public service messaging, we will brief the public,” Mirza said.
He said that the government is hoping that through the campaign, the people will get to know the basics of the virus.
Mirza also reiterated that Pakistan has yet to detect the first case of the virus.
While issuing an update on the four Pakistani students who had been diagnosed with the disease, the official said that the students are being kept under observation.
He added that early detection of the disease had also helped the students.
Mirza announced on Wednesday that four Pakistani students in China had tested positive for the novel coronavirus (nCoV).
The adviser, however, refused to reveal the names of the students with the media.
“The government will take good care of the students who have contracted the virus,” he said.
During the press conference, Mirza also defended the government’s decision to not evacuate Pakistani citizens from China.
The rebuttal comes as United States and a few other countries have evacuated its citizens from China and imposed a travel ban on the country.
“Till now, seven or eight countries have carried out evictions or requested china for evacuation,” Mirza said.
He added that China does not agree with the evacuations.
“We should not forget that in Wuhan, people from 120 countries are living in the city, and 120 countries agree that China is correctly handling the measures,” Mirza said.
He said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) also believes that China’s efforts are adequate.
Mirza reiterated that Pakistan stands by China in its handling of the crisis.
“We are the most worried about our own kids. But we have to take the right measures for us, and not follow other countries,” he told reporters.
The special assistant said that Pakistan has to take measures without compromising the safety and well-being of its people living in China.
He also shared that Prime Minister Imran Khan is the “most worried” person regarding the disease, and is receiving “minute by minute” updates from government officials.
Mirza also revealed that the health ministry, in co-ordination with other ministries, has finalised a plan on how to deal with passengers who will return to the country from China in the future.
“Thirty to forty people have planned this. If we implement this plan successfully, then we will protect Pakistani people from this disease,” he assured.
Mirza has stated that flights from China will resume from February 3 (tomorrow), and that all passengers coming from China will go through screening tests at all airports to detect symptoms of coronavirus.
He disclosed this during a briefing to National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health.
Mirza stressed that there is no need for panic as the health ministry, along with all other departments concerned, had been “vigorously” working to handle this issue.
The health expert explained that before boarding flights in China, passengers would face exit-screening, and when they reach Pakistan, “we will also conduct their screening”.
He said that while it is difficult to detect the patents suffering from the coronavirus without conducting laboratory tests, passengers suffering from high fever would be isolated for proper tests.
Mirza said that the mortality rate is only 2.2% and that the majority of the patients were recovering.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had a telephone conversation with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, the foreign minister conveyed his condolences to them over the loss of precious lives due to the outbreak of coronavirus in China.