All schools, colleges, universities and madressahs will remain closed throughout the country till April 5, 2020, the National Security Committee decided on Friday as Pakistan reported another new case of the coronavirus the same day, taking the total affected tally to 21.
The latest development was announced in a tweet by Federal Minister of Education, Professional training and National Heritage Shafqat Mahmood in a tweet.
"In a meeting of the National Security Committee presided over PM Imran Khan, it has been decided to close all educational institutions in the country till April 5. This includes all schools and universities, public and private, vocational institutions and madaris," he tweeted.
Shafqat Mahmood
@Shafqat_Mahmood
In a meeting of the National Security Committee presided over PM Imran Khan, it has been decided to close all educational institutions in the country till April 5. This includes all schools and universities, public and private, vocational institutions and madaris.
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The minister said that the decision will be reviewed by the Ministry of Education on March 27 and further decisions in this regard will be taken.
Shafqat Mahmood
@Shafqat_Mahmood
The situation regarding closure of all educational institutions in the country would be reviewed by the Ministry of Education on 27th March and further decisions taken.
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Following the federal government's decision of closure, the Punjab government also shut down its schools till April 5.
The Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas said : "Due to the Pandemic Coronavirus Schools in Punjab will be closed starting Sunday March 15th, 2020 to Sunday April 5, 2020."
Murad Raas
@DrMuradPTI
Due to the Pandemic #Coronavirus Schools in Punjab will be closed starting Sunday March 15th, 2020 to Sunday April 5, 2020. Health of our Children & honourable Teachers are priority #1. At the end of the day it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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Health of our Children & honourable Teachers are priority #1. At the end of the day it’s better to be safe than sorry," he said
Previously, the Sindh government had announced extending the closure of educational institutions in the country till May 30.
Read more: Coronavirus: Schools, colleges, universities in Sindh to remain closed till May 30
"Summer vacations are being preponed in Sindh & schools in Sindh will reopen on the 1st of June 2020. Decision has been made by cabinet," Advisor to the Chief Minister on Law Murtaza Wahab had tweeted.
Similarly, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced that all educational institutes throughout the province will remain closed till May 15.
The KP leadership also directed that all political and public gatherings be banned, while Chief Minister Mahmood Khan also postponed his rally in Swat as the virus continues to spread around the globe.
After recovery from coronavirus, the world is likely to reconsider the global supply chains to avoid concentration of industries in one country, China, which will create opportunities of relocation of some industries to Pakistan, said State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Deputy Governor Dr Murtaza Syed.
Speaking at a meeting to discuss the impact of coronavirus on Pakistan’s trade, organised by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Syed pointed out that though coronavirus cases were decreasing in China, the infections were increasing in other countries. “By the end of May, the situation may improve,” he added.
The central bank official stated that 50-60% of the factories were closed in China due to COVID-19, therefore, next quarter results would show a decline in economic growth. Last year, the global GDP grew around 3%, which was going to fall this year due to the epidemic, he said.
“Risk appetite is decreasing among investors around the world and money is moving towards risk-free markets like bonds,” he said.
Syed pointed out that England and other developed economies were reducing interest rate to help their markets cope with the impact of the coronavirus.
He told businessmen that in 2018, Pakistan imported electrical and electronic equipment worth $3.09 billion while machinery, nuclear reactors and boilers valuing at $3.09 billion were imported. Both the categories were among major imports from the country. The deputy governor said, “Pakistan also imports around 20% raw material, hence, there is disruption in the supply chain, which our businessmen are overcoming by heading towards other countries to substitute their imports.
“Machinery import is decreasing as Pakistan has completed imports under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), therefore, currently we have some room. However, due to the decline in machinery imports, progress on the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) is going to be delayed.”
He pointed out that the exporters were also looking towards Africa and European countries to divert their exports. “Recently, oil prices decreased, which is going to have a positive impact on Pakistan, as oil is one of the major commodities imported every year.” In the near future, the situation due to the coronavirus could turn worse, but there was hope in the long term, he remarked.
Speaking during the meeting, The Indus Hospital Infectious Diseases Consultant Dr Samreen Sarfaraz said, “COVID-19 is a storm in a teacup, which is exaggerated and shown as a tsunami.”
“COVID-19 is moderately transmissible and a new viral illness of low mortality rate,” she said. “Roughly, 80% of patients recover without being admitted in a hospital, other 17% recover after admission for supportive care and only 3.4% die,” she said.
“Its pandemic potential is nothing when compared to the influenza pandemics in the past.”
Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah on Tuesday put to rest speculations that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 matches due to be held in the city may not take place owing to concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus in Pakistan.
All matches due to be held at the National Stadium will take place as per the schedule, said Shah, during a press conference at the stadium.
His remarks came in the backdrop of reports that the provincial health department will forward recommendations to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for a ban to be placed on public gatherings. They also came as two more cases of the virus were reported in the province, one in Karachi and one in Hyderabad.
"The virus is not as deadly as being portrayed [...] it is not as if someone who contracts cannot recover fully," said the information minister.
The first patient identified here was discharged and his family members were screened and do not have symptoms, he added.
When asked whether spectators should come to watch the PSL matches, he said they are welcome to do so and can come without any fear.
"We will provide sanitisers and there are arrangements for screening as well," he said.
Shah, along with PCB officials and health department officials had conducted a review of the arrangements at the National Stadium, prior to the media briefing.
Matches at the stadium are due to take place from March 12-17.
A smartphone app that lets users check the eyes of newborn babies for jaundice may be an effective, low-cost way of identifying which cases need treatment, scientists reported Monday.
Jaundice, a liver problem which causes the skin and whites of the eyes to turn yellow, causes 114,000 newborn deaths and 178,000 cases of disability a year.
Also read: WHO boss urges people to fight coronavirus 'before it gets out of control'
Three-quarters of the deaths occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, meaning the results of this new pilot study — published in the journal PLOS ONE and led by researchers at the University College London (UCL) — could be an important boost to health care professionals in poorer regions.
Senior author Terence Leung, from UCL´s medical physics and biomedical engineering department, said: "In many parts of the world, midwives and nurses rely on sight alone to assess jaundice. However, this is unreliable, especially for newborns with darker skin.
Also read: CES 2020: Tech solutions for senior citizens
"Our smartphone-based method provides a more robust assessment, ensuring serious cases do not go unnoticed. While we await the evidence of a larger trial, we believe that this method, used as an app, could help to prevent the deaths of newborn babies due to severe jaundice worldwide."
Jaundice is caused by high levels of a yellow compound called bilirubin that is produced during normal breakdown of red blood cells. Most cases are harmless, but in some instances a neurotoxic form of bilirubin can enter the brain, leading to death or disabilities like hearing loss, cerebral palsy and cognitive impairment.
Also read: Indians have smallest brains in the world: research
Newborns suspected of having jaundice can be given a blood test at the hospital, but the condition sometimes only occurs several days after birth once the child has been brought home.
In the current study, smartphone pictures were taken of 37 newborn babies who had been referred for blood tests. The images were processed to remove distortions from background light and the yellowness of the eyes were quantified to predict bilirubin levels.
The predictions were then compared to the blood test results, with the algorithm correctly identifying all cases that would normally require treatment. The app was also 60 percent successful at identifying cases that did not require treatment.
The success rate was comparable to transcutaneous bilirubinometers — hand-held devices that cost upwards of $6,000 and are recommended for use by midwives. The method is now being tested in a larger trial involving more than 500 babies in Ghana.
