After returning from China, Pak foreign Minister goes into self-quarantine

Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has decided to self- quarantine himself for at least five days as a precautionary measure upon returning from an official visit to China.

Islamabad [Pakistan], Mar 19 : Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has decided to self- quarantine himself for at least five days as a precautionary measure upon returning from an official visit to China.

Qureshi will also be tested for coronavirus, said the statement by his office.

"Experts have advised that I should go into isolation and take a coronavirus test after five days," Qureshi said, adding that he is also in isolation from his family.

Qureshi, as part of Pakist President Arif Alvi's delegation, visited China this Monday and Tuesday to show solidarity with Chinese leadership after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Alvi, the first head of state to visit Beijing after coronavirus hit the world's most populous nation, met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and National People's Congress Chairman Li Zhanshu.

The foreign minister further noted that Beijing is keeping current updates regarding the coronavirus spread. Pakistan had not evacuated its students from China because of its all-weather ties.

Pakist students did not face any mishap in China, the statement said.

Pakistan is grappling to control the outbreak of coronavirus as two COVID-19 patient deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were reported on Thursday.

With more than 100 new cases reported on Thursday, the total number of positive cases of COVID19 in Pakistan at 377. About 213 cases were reported in Sindh province followed by Punjab- 78, Balochistan- 45, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 23, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan 16 and Islamabad two cases.

( With inputs from ANI )