SUKKUR: Nineteen officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday tested positive for Covid-19 here, among them two assistant directors.

Sources in NAB said that samples of 108 officials, including director general of NAB, were collected two days ago after an employee working in the bureau’s IT branch was found to have the virus.

Test results of 90 officials were received and of them, 19 were found to have the virus while 71, including DG NAB and a director, tested negative for the virus, said the sources.

All the patients had been quarantined in their homes and tests of their family members were also being carried out, said the sources.

DADU: As many as 85 people tested positive for Covid-19 at Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical and Health Sciences in Sehwan on Saturday, prompting town administration to seal localities of Kehar Colony, Khosa Mohalla and Shahbaz Colony and six streets.

Dr Moeenuddin Siddiqi, director of the institute, confirmed the figure of coronavirus positive cases at the facility and said that 47 patients out of 85 were related to the staff of the institute and the remaining 38 were members of general public.

He said that condition of a local journalist who fell prey to the virus was unstable. He was shifted to isolation ward at the institute four days back.

SHIKARPUR: A total of 21 people out of 130 whose samples were collected a couple of days ago tested positive for the virus on Saturday, said health officials.

They said that the 21 included five women and 16 men who were quarantined at their homes. Tally of death toll from the virus had reached 10 in the district and number of Covid-19 patients had risen to 400 including 357 cases of local transmission, said the officials.

MIRPURKHAS: Police arrested dozens of members of general public and shopkeepers in different parts of the city on charges of violation of lockdown and SOPs. Officials said that police had shifted the detainees to police stations concerned.

HYDERABAD: Deputy Commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro has urged officials concerned to ensure Sindh government’s SOPs on business activities were implemented in letter and spirit during five days a week.

He said at a meeting he chaired here on Saturday that all hotels and restaurants that were providing home delivery and takeaway facilities would also remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays whereas working hours from 6am to 7pm for businesses should be followed strictly five days a week (Monday through Friday).

He said that all those found violating the SOPs would have to face action. Health advisory on wearing mask and social distancing should be ensured to stem spread of the virus, he said and urged people to follow SOPs and save themselves and their family members from the virus.

Meanwhile, City assistant commissioner Mohammad Ibrahim Arbab imposed fine of Rs180,000 on four eateries and sealed them for violating SOPs while Latifabad AC Aijaz Ali Halepoto visited different markets and asked shopkeepers to follow SOPs. Qasimabad AC Gada Hussain Soomro also warned restaurants to follow SOPs or face action.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2020