Gilgit-Baltistan govt retracts statement about patient dying from coronavirus

The Gilgit-Baltistan government on Wednesday retracted from its earlier statement about a person drying from the coronavirus, saying that he did not succumb to the virus but had other medical complications.

Earlier, GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed that a 90-year-old person had passed away from the virus. However, Gilgit Baltistan government media coordinator Rasheed Arshad said that the provincial spokesperson had broken the news without verifying it. He said that the patient was suffering from pneumonia and kidney complications.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza took to Twitter to announce that the man had not died from coronavirus. He urged media to exercise caution and air news responsibly.

I can confirm that until now there is no corona related death in ??. Geo report about a death in GB is incorrect. The corona virus test of the patient is -ve. I request media reporters that in rush to break the news first, please don’t misreport. Check your facts twice <261>

— Zafar Mirza (@zfrmrza) March 18, 2020