Fifth coronavirus case confirmed in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday reported a new coronavirus case, taking the total to five since the first cases were confirmed last week, officials said.

“We have now 5th confirmed case of COVID19 in federal areas,” Zafar Mirza, the country’s health minister said in a tweet early Tuesday morning.

The patient is stable and being managed well, he said.

234/ We have now 5th confirmed case of #COVID19 in federal areas. Patient is stable and is being managed well. I request the media to respect the privacy of the patient and the family.

— Zafar Mirza (@zfrmrza) March 3, 2020

According to Geo News, the patient is a 45-year-old woman from the northern mountainous region of Gilgit Baltistan, who arrived from Iran a few days ago.

She is being treated at a hospital in Gilgit, it said, and her family members are being tested for the virus. Local schools have been closed following the confirmation of the infection.

Most of the cases reported so far in Pakistan have a history of travel to Iran.

Meanwhile, Sindh has extended the closure of all educational institutions following the confirmation of a second coronavirus case in Karachi, the country’s largest city.

Pakistan announced its first two cases of COVID19 last Wednesday.