Pakistan reports 6th coronavirus case

Pakistan on Thursday reported a fresh case of the deadly coronavirus, taking the total number of the COVID-19 infections in the country to six. A 69-year-old man, who returned from Iran on February 25, was tested positive in a private hospital in Karachi.

"6th case of #coronavirus in Pakistan is confirmed," Prime Minister's Advisor on Health Zafar Mirza tweeted. He said the patient was in a stable condition in a hospital in Karachi.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed officials to trace and test all those who were in contact with the patient. So far, no coronavirus related death has been reported in Pakistan.

Sindh and Balochistan province have already closed their schools and college after the deadly virus surfaced in the country. Pakistan has also closed its border with Iran and Afghanistan, and authorities have screened 7,60,000 people for the novel coronavirus.

Chairing a meeting of the Coronavirus Emergency Core Group in Islamabad on Thursday, 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.

Earlier, five cases of coronavirus were detected in Pakistan and all of them were in stable condition. 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 disease has spread to more than 70 countries.

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.