BAHAWALNAGAR: A 34-year-old woman, daughter of 54-year-old coronavirus patient, a resident of Chishtian, was also tested positive of the virus on Wednesday.

The fresh case is the resident of Muslim Town, Chishtian, while her mother who was the first patient of Covid-19 in the district, came back from Qatar and tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week. Also, a 55-year-old woman, who had symptoms of the virus, died at the Bahawalnagar CMH and her village Denan Bashnoyan has been put under lockdown.

District Health Officer Waheed Afsar Bajwa said of the 40 people tested for the virus, only two were positive.

The woman and her daughter, who tested positive, were being shifted to the Bahawalnagar District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital from home, while those under observation would be moved to the Danish School of Chishtian in a couple of days, he added.

Also, 487 members of Tableeghi Jamaat are residing in 20 mosques in cities, 24 in village mosques and one in the tableeghi markaz. The district administration has converted these mosques and the markaz into quarantine centres for 14 days.

Sources said the screening of Tableeghi Jamaat members had not completed because paramedics had yet to receive protective gear and only 355 members had been screened.

Mr Bajwa said health teams were randomly scanning preachers but now it had been decided that all Tableeghi members would be tested for coronavirus.

He said paramedical staff had been deployed at the mosques and marakiz that were declared as quarantine centres and for the security of these places, the health department was in contact with the police department.

Bahawalnagar DPO Quddus Baig said police officials had been deployed at mosques.

VEHARI: The first coronavirus positive case was reported at the Vehari DHQ Hospital.

The patient is a Tableeghi Jamaat activist and is a resident of Tibba Sultanpur. He returned from Saudi Arabia on March 15. His first test by a private lab in Lahore declared him positive. When he arrived home from Lahore, the family rushed him the to Mailsi Tehsil Headquarters Hospital to treat his high fever.

The Mailsi hospital referred him to the DHQ hospital the same day – March 24. He was admitted to the isolation ward.

Malik Arshad, health authority chief, said the patient contracted coronavirus in Saudi Arabia.

Medical Superintendent Dr Faazil said his condition was stable while his family residence had been declared quarantine centre in Tibba Sultanpur.

He said 10 suspected patients were under observation at the isolation ward of the DHQ hospital.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020