APD | Pakistan says no report of coronavirus infection among Pakistanis in China

By APD writer Muhammad Sohail

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that over 500 students and other Pakistanis living in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the 2019 Novel Coronavirus is believed to have originated, and other parts of China are safe.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the virus similar to the SARS pathogen has claimed 56 lives since emerging in a market in Wuhan, and spread around the world.

"There is no report of infection in any Pakistani community member thus far," the ministry said, adding that the Pakistani community has been reassured of full support and requested to follow health protocols issued by the Chinese authorities and stay indoors.

The statement added that the Pakistan Embassy in China are "actively monitoring the situation" of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.

"The current situation calls for greater patience and perseverance. We laud the resolute efforts of Chinese authorities in dealing with the outbreak of the virus," the ministry said.

It said Pakistani students and community members have been advised to regularly visit the embassy’s website and register themselves online.

The statement came a day after the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing said that there are approximately 28,000 Pakistani students present all over China, around 800 resident traders and around 1,500 Pakistani traders who travel to China frequently.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)