Pakistan screens 7.6L people for coronavirus

Pakistan has screened 7,60,000 people for the novel coronavirus and five persons in the country have tested positive so far, a senior official said on Thursday. Chairing a meeting of the Coronavirus Emergency Core Group here, Prime Minister's Advisor on Health Zafar Mirza said over 7,60,000 people entering the country were checked at various entry points.

"The federal and provincial governments, as well as other institutions, are fully ready to meet the challenge and protect the people," he said. The total number of COVID-19 infections in Pakistan rose to five on Tuesday. Education institutions in Sindh, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan have been closed after the deadly virus surfaced.

Pakistan has also closed its border with Iran and Afghanistan. The novel virus reportedly first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year and has claimed over 3,200 lives globally.

The World Health Organisation last week raised the global virus risk to maximum level after the outbreak spread to sub-Saharan Africa and stock markets around the world plummeted.