Coronavirus outbreak: Pakistan shuts schools, suspends flight operations with Iran

Amid the sudden increase of deadly coronavirus in Iran, Pakistan on February 27 reportedly closed down its schools in several areas and suspended flights to and from the Islamic Republic to contain COVID-19 spread. This step by the Pakistani government came after it had confirmed the first two cases on February 26. The South Asian nation is surrounded by Iran and China, both of which have been severely hit by the fatal virus and the two Pakistanis who contracted pathogen had reportedly recently travelled to Iran. 

Both infected people visited Iran as part of large groups of pilgrims from Pakistan's Shi'ite Muslim community however, according to international reports, the health officials have said that they were “stable”. In the southern province of Sindh, the Pakistani authorities have shut schools including the country's largest city, Karachi where the first case of coronavirus was confirmed, and the southwestern province of Baluchistan, which shares borders with Iran. 

In other precautionary measures, the authorities have also started tracing nearly 8,000 pilgrims who also recently returned from Iran. Pakistan's Civil Aviation reportedly said that it was suspending all flights with the Islamic Republic from the evening of February 27 until further notice. Pakistan had also closed its borders with Iran on February 23 following the COVID-19 outbreak in the neighbouring country. As of February 27, nearly 22 people have died in Iran due to coronavirus. 

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WHO says more cases outside China

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said on February 26 that for the first time there are more coronavirus cases outside China than those inside the country since it originated in Wuhan in late December. WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a briefing in Geneva that the drastic increase in cases in Italy, Iran and Korea are “deeply concerning”. Since the cases linked to Iran have spread to Kuwait and Oman, and those linked to Italy have been tested positive in Algeria, Austria, Croatia, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland.  

Further, while elaborating on the seriousness of the situation of the epidemic, Ghebreyesus said that the primary objective of all countries with cases must be to contain the virus. The international leaders, irrespective of the fact if they have any confirmed cases of COVID-19, should be prepared “for a potential pandemic” adding that there is no time for self-approval.  

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(With agency inputs)