Coronavirus updates: Essential information for Pakistan
We will keep updating this story. Last update: 11:30am, Thursday, October 15, 2020
Known case updates as of 11:30am, Thursday, October 15, 2020
Pakistan: 321,218 (755 new)
Islamabad: 17,997
Sindh: 140,756
Punjab: 101,237
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 38,464
Balochistan: 15,599
Gilgit-Baltistan: 3,982
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 3,258
Tests done as of 11:30am, Thursday, October 15, 2020
Total: 3,943,734
Over 24 hours: 28,916
Deaths from the virus as of 11:30am, Thursday, October 15, 2020
So far, 6,614 people have died of the virus in Pakistan. (13 new)
Islamabad: 191
Sindh: 2,566
Punjab: 2,277
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 1,264
Balochistan: 146
Gilgit-Baltistan: 90
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 80
In memoriam: Names of health workers who died fighting COVID-19
Recoveries as of 11:30am, Thursday, October 15, 2020
So far, 305,395 people have recovered from the virus in Pakistan.
Islamabad: 16,486
Sindh: 133,651
Punjab: 96,989
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 36,757
Balochistan: 15,268
Gilgit-Baltistan: 3,654
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 2,590
new Important SOPs
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How should hospitals dispose COVID-19 waste?
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Complete guidelines for burial of COVID-19 patients in Pakistan
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Cough (usually dry), fever, difficulty breathing, muscle aches and pains, tiredness, loss of taste and smell, chest pain
Which authorities should I contact?
Your government helplines
What will they do?
They will guide you about the next steps. You will be connected to a doctor who will take your medical and travel history. You will be told whether you need to be tested or not.
If you need to be tested health authorities will send an ambulance your way to take you to a hospital isolation ward. Your contacts will be traced and also tested.
What precautions should I take to protect myself from COVID-19?
- Wear a face mask anywhere outside your house. This includes crowded indoor places as well.
- Follow social distancing, keep a distance of at least one metre from other people
- Avoid large public gatherings
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with you. The alcohol content should be 60% or higher.
- Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes
- Stay at home if you feel sick
- Disinfect workplace and home surfaces, door knobs, counters
- Cook food thoroughly
Where can I go to get tested?
Contact list to get tested for coronavirus in Pakistan
Punjab:
All Divisional Headquarters hospitals
Lahore: Mayo Hospital, Expo Centre, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute, Shaukat Khanum and Chughtai Lab
Sindh:
Karachi: AKUH Karachi, Dow OJHA, Indus Hospital, SIUT, Chughtai Lab, PNS Shifa, Essa Lab, Civil Hospital, Liaquat National, Ziauddin Hospital
Hyderabad: LUMHS Hospital
Khairpur: GIMS
Larkana: CMCH
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
Peshawar: Khyber Medical University, Hayatabad Medical Complex, RMI, NWGH, Anwar Lab
Swat: Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals
Abbottabad: ATH
DI Khan: MMTH
Balochistan:
Quetta: Fatima Jinnah Hospital
Taftan: Mobile testing unit
Gilgit-Baltistan:
Skardu: CMCH
Gilgit: DHQ
Islamabad: PIMS, NIH
Azad Jammu and Kashmir:
Muzaffarabad: Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences
Isolation wards and centres in Pakistan (Updated May 9)
Sindh:
1. AKUH Karachi
2.JPMC, Karachi
3.Dow OJHA, Karachi
4.Civil Hospital, Karachi
5. Liaquat Uni Hospital, Hyderabad
6. PMCH Nawabshah
7. Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas
8. GMMMC Sukkur
9. CMCH Larkana
10. Expo Centre Karachi
Punjab:
1.Mayo Hospital Lahore
2. PKLI Centre Lahore
3. Expo Centre Field Hospital Lahore
4. Nishtar Hospital Multan
5. Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital Sialkot
6. Allied Teaching Hospital, Faisalabad
7. Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
1. Khyber Medical University, Peshawar
2. Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar
3. RMI, Peshawar
4. NWGH, Peshawar
5. Swat: Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals
6. Abbottabad: ATH
7. DI Khan: MMTH
Balochistan:
1. Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Quetta
2. Prince Fahad/ DHQ Hospital, Dalbandin, Chaghi
3. Jam Mir Ghulam Qadir Hospital Hub Lasbela
4. DHQ Hospital, Uthal, Lasbela
5. DHQ Hospital Gwadar
6. Red Crecent Hospital, Gwadar
7. GDA Hospital, Gwadar
8. GDA Hospital, Gwadar
9. DHQ Teaching Hospital, Turbat
If you’re looking for places that can provide oxygen cylinders, oximeters and plasma, we’ve compiled a list of contacts here.
What treatment approaches has Pakistan used for COVID-19 so far?
Doctors in Pakistan are trying a number of different approaches including:
1. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine
2. Remdesivir
3. Steroids
4. Tocilizumab and Sarilumab
5. Convalescent plasma or immunoglobulins
6. Proning
7. Lopinavir/ritonavir
8. Radiology for diagnosis
Read about them here.
Pakistan’s COVID-19 timeline: Major stories from across the country
- Punjab sees spike in COVID-19 cases as schools reopen
- Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal tests positive for coronavirus
- Risk mitigation important to check second wave of coronavirus: planning minister
- Pakistan, will you volunteer for the Chinese coronavirus vaccine trial?
- Islamabad authorities detect 10 coronavirus cases at NUML, other institutes
- Will coronavirus infections spike during winters in Pakistan?
- Today’s outlook: Smart lockdowns imposed in multiple Karachi neighbourhoods
- Karachi West DC imposes micro smart lockdown in Manghopir UC-8
- Authorities seal eight restaurants in Karachi for violating coronavirus SOPs
- KU starts clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine for coronavirus
- 606 coronavirus cases reported at schools across Pakistan
- Pakistan begins phase three of coronavirus vaccine trials
- Balochistan closes five universities, 21 schools as coronavirus cases rise
- Coronavirus vaccine trials start this week in Pakistan: taskforce chairperson
- Urdu comic book Little Master helps fight COVID-19 misinformation
- Balochistan schools report 64 new coronavirus cases
- Karachi: Three Orangi schools sealed over failure to implement SOPs
- Back to school: Pakistan students return to classrooms after months
- Pakistan issues SOPs for wedding halls
- Coronavirus in children mild, infectious disease experts support schools reopening
- Graph: Pakistan’s coronavirus cases cross 300,000
- WHO wants world to learn lessons from Pakistan’s COVID-19 response
- As Karachi downsizes coronavirus wards, experts warn against complacency
- Sindh reported zero coronavirus deaths on September 5
- Government announces SOPs for schools: social distancing, face masks mandatory
- Reopening schools could spike coronavirus infections: Sindh health minister
- Pakistan puzzles health experts as coronavirus cases drop
- Pakistan receives Rs517m coronavirus aid as cases decline
- Minor surges, no major coronavirus peaks expected in Pakistan: MMIDSP
- President Alvi lauds Pakistan government’s ‘firm stance’ on coronavirus pandemic
- Coronavirus vaccine will soon be available in Pakistan: health ministry
- Pakistan’s coronavirus recovery rate stands at 93.7%: NIH
- China’s coronavirus vaccine trial to begin at Pakistan’s NIH
- Coronavirus: ‘Micro smart lockdown’ imposed in six Peshawar neighbourhoods
- Five bizarre coronavirus myths debunked
- Punjab health secretary warns of a second wave of coronavirus
- You don’t need a coronavirus test for domestic PIA flights
- Pakistan’s COVID-19 situation can worsen if SOPs ignored: Asad Umar
- COVID-19 guidelines for Pakistan Independence Day
- Punjab issues SOPs for resumption of restaurant, fast-food businesses
- Islamabad administration allows reopening of weekly markets from Sunday
- Tourists crowd Murree as Pakistan lifts coronavirus lockdown
- Pakistan reopens restaurants, cinemas and gyms after five months
- Pakistan Railways to restore all trains from August 9
- Sindh to reopen businesses, restaurants from Monday
- Coronavirus vaccine clinical trials begin in two weeks in Pakistan
- Domestic flights resume at most Pakistani airports
- Pakistan records eight new coronavirus deaths, second lowest since April
- Pakistan celebrates Eidul Azha with animal sacrifice and prayers
- Shahzad Roy, family test positive for coronavirus
- Sindh virus cases increasing because of Eid shopping: health secretary
- Pakistan gets 100 more ventilators, training packages from the US
- 19 districts of Punjab coronavirus-free: Yasmin Rashid
- PM’s aide on health Zafar Mirza resigns
- Coronavirus: Contact numbers for testing in Gilgit-Baltistan
- Reduce interaction, avoid gatherings on Eidul Azha: Zafar Mirza
- Coronavirus: Pakistan, India cattle sellers go online for Eidul Azha
- Islamabad court rejects petition to immediately reopen private schools
- Pakistan adopted balanced approach to deal with coronavirus pandemic: minister
- Sindh’s parks open to public after four long months
- Zafar Mirza warns of coronavirus infection surge as Eid approaches
- Jhelum hospitals declare themselves coronavirus-free
- Punjab to impose smart lockdown for Eidul Azha
- Video: When will Pakistan get a coronavirus vaccine?
- Pakistanis risk unproven plasma treatment in coronavirus fight
- 103-year-old Chitral man recovers from coronavirus
- Peshawar opens first ever coronavirus hospital
- Coronavirus products made in Pakistan for the first time
- Hazara, Malakand private schools to reopen from August 4: association
- Punjab to keep parks, recreational spots closed on Eidul Azha
- Qatar Airways makes coronavirus test mandatory for passengers from Pakistan
- Coronavirus Eidul Azha guidelines: disinfect slaughter site, avoid hugging
- Coronavirus: Sindh approves risk allowance for doctors, nursing students
- Post-coronavirus Kawasaki-like inflammatory syndrome reported in eight children in Lahore
- Pakistan planning on reopening schools in September
- Pakistan’s first batch of locally made ventilators given to NDMA
- Dr Zafar Mirza tests positive for COVID-19
- Shehbaz Sharif beats coronavirus
- Sindh CM inaugurates 54-bed infectious diseases hospital in Karachi
- How the coronavirus has impacted Pakistan’s restaurants
- Pakistan FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi tests positive for COVID-19
- Shahid Afridi recovers from coronavirus
- Karachi smart lockdown hasn’t improved coronavirus situation: Sindh health minister
- Monsoon will decrease coronavirus cases: Zafar Mirza
- Punjab coronavirus lockdown extended till July 15
- Zafar Mirza tells coronavirus patients to only take prescribed medicines
- ‘Pakistan to record fewer infections than expected till June 30’
- Sheikh Rasheed recovers from COVID-19
- 55% of Pakistanis still think coronavirus threat is exaggerated: survey
- Watch: Pakistan’s COVID-19 cases decreased in June
- 182 COVID-19 patients died in home isolation: Sindh health minister
- Coronavirus claims 136 lives in last 24 hours
- ‘Pakistan to increase COVID-19 testing capacity to 100,000 in July’
- Pakistan allows import, manufacture of Remdesivir for emergency COVID-19 use
- Pakistan will consider dexamethasone for severe COVID-19 patients: Zafar Mirza
- Healthcare commission fixes price cap on private hospitals in Punjab
- Pakistan reports nearly 150,000 coronavirus cases, 2,900 deaths
- Pakistan to place ‘restrictive measures’ in 20 virus ‘hotspot’ cities
- Actemra trials begin on COVID-19 patients in Punjab
- DRAP approves Pakistan’s first COVID-19 testing kit
- Pakistan to start manufacturing electromedical devices
- Pakistan makes wearing masks in public mandatory
- Pakistan reports highest 57 coronavirus deaths in a day
- Contact numbers: Coronavirus test in Balochistan
- Pakistan government uses militant-tracking tech to hunt coronavirus patients
- Pakistan’s coronavirus deaths reach 1,000 as country eases lockdown
- ‘Pakistan’s actual coronavirus stats yet to be determined’
- Pakistan’s coronavirus tally crosses 56,000
- PML-N leader Amir Muqam contracts coronavirus
- Lockdown to be intensified if coronavirus protocols are ignored: Mirza
- Here are Pakistan’s Jummatul Wida and Eid prayer SOPs
- ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain’s brother dies of coronavirus
- Balochistan MPA dies of coronavirus in Karachi
- Plasma therapy trial for COVID-19 begins at Karachi’s AKU
- Punjab medical students won’t be promoted without taking exams
- Hyderabad treats another COVID-19 patient with plasma therapy
- JPMC doctor attacked by suspected COVID-19 patient’s family members
- Punjab to resume inter-city bus, online taxi services from Monday
- Pakistan receives 99 ventilators from China: NDMA
- Jinnah hospital’s coronavirus ward vandalised by patient’s relatives
- Pakistan to start manufacturing Remdesivir within 8 weeks: Mirza
- Three-year-old child dies from COVID-19 in Karachi
- Five CM house employees, Murad’s assistant test positive for coronavirus
- Islamabad makes coronavirus test mandatory for food takeaway workers
- Balochistan imposes smart lockdown till May 19
- 251 villagers in Khairpur’s Pirjo Goth contract COVID-19
- Sindh to return amount deducted from salaries of healthcare professionals
- Blood specialist urges Pakistanis who beat coronavirus to donate plasma
- AJK coronavirus count reaches 78 after two new cases emerge
- Dr Furqan died due to Civil Hospital doctor’s misjudgment: report
- Karachi’s JPMC allowed to use plasma for passive immunisation therapy
- KP markets to remain closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday: official
- YouTube to give Pakistan $5m to stem coronavirus spread
- Karachi AIG wants martyr status for COVID-19 victim policemen
- Ending lockdown will cause spike in coronavirus infections: doctors
- Pakistan opens border to allow stranded Afghans to return home
- Watch: is Karachi following the new lockdown rules?
- Sindh govt to build infectious diseases hospital in Karachi
- Punjab suggests not easing lockdown in major cities
- COVID-19: Punjab tally crosses 10,000, Sindh cases reach 9,600
- NDMA provides coronavirus safety kits worth $100,000 to PIA
- Special PIA flights to bring back stranded Pakistanis from USA
- Explainer: Is PM IK’s announcement of lifting lockdown well planned?
- Pakistan education institutions to remain closed till July 15
- Pakistan to lift coronavirus lockdown on Saturday
- KP Housing Minister Amjad Ali tests positive for COVID-19
- Faisal Edhi tests negative for COVID-19
- Sindh to test shoppers as COVID-19 tally reaches 8,640
- COVID-19 positive man treated with plasma therapy in Hyderabad
- Sindh CM’s Special Assistant Rashid Rabbani tests positive for COVID-19
- Punjab to ease coronavirus lockdown after May 9
- Patients wait to visit hospital till breathing worsens: Azra Pechuho
- Five doctors positive for COVID-19 at Islamabad’s Akbar Niazi Hospital
- Eight doctors test COVID-19 positive at Karachi’s Indus Hospital
- Balochistan government hiring microbiologists, virologists to increase testing capacity
- Pakistan gives martyr status to health workers dying of virus
- Punjab to start random COVID-19 testing
- Quetta doctor tests COVID-19 positive, requests people to stay home
- Suspected COVID-19 patient at Karachi’s Jinnah hospital dies by suicide
- Islamabad doctor accuses PIMS management of endangering lives of staffers
- Sindh policeman dies of coronavirus
- Punjab Food Authority seals Rawalpindi shops for not following SOPs
- Balochistan to only test suspected COVID-19 patients showing symptoms
- Lahore, Sindh traders announce to open markets from May 10
Twitter handles to follow:
1.Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health: @fslsltn
2. National Institute of Health (NIH) Pakistan: @NIH_Pakistan
3. Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination: @nhsrcofficial
4.Health and Population Welfare Department, Sindh: @SindhHealthDpt
5. Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister of Health & Population Welfare Sindh: @AzraPechuho
6. Senator Murtaza Wahab, Sindh Government Spokesperson: @murtazawahab1
7. Taimur Khan Jhagra KP Finance and Health Minister: @Jhagra
8. Health Department KP: @HealthKPGovt
9. Usman Buzdar Punjab Chief Minister: @UsmanAKBuzdar
10. Dr Yasmin Rashid Punjab Minister For Primary & Secondary Healthcare: @Dr_YasminRashid
11. Health Department Punjab: @HealthPunjabGov
12. Jam Kamal Khan Balochistan Chief Minister: @jam_kamal
13. Liaquat Shahwani Balochistan Government Spokesperson: @LiaquatShahwani
14. Health Department Balochistan: @HealthDeptBlo
15. World Health Organisation Country Office in Pakistan: @WHOPakistan
16. Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan MMIDSP: @mmidsp
17. Aga Khan University; @AKUGlobal
18. The Indus Hospital: @indus_hospital
19. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation: @DrTedros
20. UNICEF Pakistan: @UNICEF_Pakistan