Pak Minister tests positive for coronavirus

Islamabad, Dec 19 (IANS) Asad Umar, Pakistan's Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, announced that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, joining a list of top politicians to be infected with the disease.In a tweet late Friday night, the Minister said: "Just got my Covid test result and it is positive. Will be isolating at home."Umar also heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), a national body that includes civil, military and health experts formed to strategise against and defeat the coronavirus pandemic in the country.Several politicians, including Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have tested positive for the virus since the outbreak was first reported in February.Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra also tested positive earlier and have since recovered.The development comes as Pakistan has reported a total of 454,673 confirmed coronavirus cases and 9,250 deaths.
--IANS ksk/