Sindh energy minister self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19

Published September 19, 2020
Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh has become the latest politician to test positive for Covid-19. — DawnNewsTV/File
Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh has become the latest politician to test positive for Covid-19. — DawnNewsTV/File

Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh has tested positive for the coronavirus, he said in a statement on Saturday.

He said he underwent a test for Covid-19 yesterday after experiencing symptoms of fever and a sore throat, which came back positive.

"I have isolated myself after the result came back positive," he added, seeking prayers for his recovery.

Shaikh is the latest among several politicians or persons with political connections to have tested positive for the disease.

Also read: Is Pakistan at risk of a second Covid-19 wave?

Sindh education minister Saeed Ghani, Governor Imran Ismail and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal MPA Abdul Rasheed all tested positive and recovered earlier this year.

In April, a brother-in-law of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had died after testing positive for the virus at a Karachi hospital.

After reporting the country's first coronavirus case on February 26, Sindh has so far recorded over 133,000 infections, more than any other province or region in Pakistan.

The province, where like the rest of the country educational institutions remained shut for over six months due to the pandemic, on Friday delayed the reopening of middle schools for a week due to rising Covid-19 cases among non-teaching staff.

Infections appear to be on the rise in Pakistan. The country reported more than 700 cases on Thursday for the first time in more than a month while Sindh's daily tally of infections rose above 300 earlier this week for the first time in three weeks.

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