Pak reports 6th coronavirus case

Pakistan on Thursday reported a fresh case of the deadly coronavirus, taking the total number of the COVID-19 infections in the country to six, a media report said.

The patient was identified as a 69-year-old man residing in Karachi's District East, Dawn reported.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed officials to trace and test all those who have been in contact with the patient, it said.

So far, no coronavirus related death has been reported in Pakistan.

Sindh and Balochistan province have already closed their schools and college after the deadly virus surfaced in the country.

Pakistan has also closed its border with Iran and Afghanistan, and authorities have screened 7,60,000 people for the novel coronavirus.

Chairing a meeting of the Coronavirus Emergency Core Group in Islamabad on Thursday, Prime Minister's Advisor on Health Zafar Mirza said over 7,60,000 people entering the country were checked at various entry points.

"The federal and provincial governments, as well as other institutions, are fully ready to meet the challenge and protect the people," he said.

The novel virus reportedly first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year and has claimed over 3,200 lives globally.

The World Health Organisation last week raised the global virus risk to maximum level after the outbreak spread to sub-Saharan Africa and stock markets around the world plummeted.