Corona virus, spread and Consequences

Covid-19 emerges in China in Dec '19, declared a pandemic on March 11

Http://www.covidvisualizer.com/

March 09, 2020

“The war against coronavirus is turning into a war of oil
export markets,” said analyst Tomas Viagra
Markets have passed from panic mode into pure hysteria.
Said Ayush Ansal chief investment officer at Crimson Black
Capital
Global out market nosedived 30 percent following a risky
oil trade war between Russia and Saudi Arabia.
COVID-19 first emerged in late December and has spread
in 100 countries resulting in over 110,560 cases and killing
3860 till now

16 cases of corona virus have been confirmed in Pakistan

till now. 13 from Sindh

RECENT ADB estimates suggest that Pakistan’s

economy could suffer a loss of up to 1.5pc in its
GDP growth rate due to the fallout from the
spread of the novel coronavirus, while the
capital markets have already been roiled by a
strong bout of volatility due to mounting fears
and anxiety.
World oil markets are seeing a sharp fall — according to
some reports the sharpest drop in oil prices since
1991.
In addition, some estimates suggest the global
aviation industry could see up to $113bn worth
of revenue losses as a result.
Global supply chains have been disrupted badly
because of the massive shutdowns in China that have
either closed down industries altogether, or disrupted
the return of workers from the new year holidays to the
point of creating acute labour shortages in industrial
areas that are not directly impacted by the shutdowns.
There are reasons to be concerned here in
Pakistan as well.
Besides the obvious public health emergency this poses,
the fallout for the economy needs to be taken stock of.
Some people think it is a positive sign that Pakistani
exporters are picking up the orders that might ordinarily
have gone to China and exports could see a spike in the
months ahead.
But it would be terribly short-sighted to find much
comfort in this fact.
If the shutdowns persist and spread, it will also seriously
impact the scale of demand for Pakistan’s
traditional exports, such as garments.
Beyond that, the sharp fall in the value of oil-related
stocks means the divestment of OGDC shares that
was planned in the next few months will have to be
postponed, and the privatisation programme will
need to be shelved since global buyers are in no mood to
extend their stakes while the uncertainty persists.
In this environment, an economy such as
Pakistan’s, which is struggling to emerge from
the crippling effects of a macroeconomic
stabilisation programme, will face far more
challenges than opportunities.

12 march:
“Each country is taking measures to ensure safety of
their own people and citizens of other countries residing
in those countries. It is the primary responsibility of
those countries to take appropriate measures to prevent
the spread of coronavirus,” said Aisha farooqi
spokesperson of the foreign office in Pakistan
Oil prices have dropped the most in a single day
since 1991, while the yield on the US 30-Year
Treasury bond has sunk to below one per cent
for the first time in history.
An estimated $9 trillion has been wiped off the market
capitalisation of global stocks in the past two weeks,
with the S&P 500 index plunging 20pc since its peak on
Feb19. The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s KSE-100 index
has fallen 10pc since. Not surprisingly, traders have
dubbed the price action on March 9 as Black Monday
and the recent carnage more generally as a ‘bloodbath’.

The two immediate catalysts for the collapse witnessed

on global financial markets are the rapid, contagious
spread across the world of the novel coronavirus
(COVID-19), and the start of an oil price war between
Saudi Arabia and Russia after the dramatic collapse of
the OPEC+ agreement on production cuts.
The two seemingly unrelated developments — the
COVID-19 pandemic and the oil price war — are not as
unrelated as they may seem at first. The first
development has amplified pre-existing worries about
the health of the global economy. These concerns have
played into oil market fears about weak demand. The
second development (collapse of OPEC+ agreement) has
added a supply shock to the disquiet of oil exporting
nations. Since the demand for oil — and in a second-
hand way, its international price — is an important
indicator of the health of the global economy, the sharp
fall in oil benchmarks has reinforced the prevailing
sentiment of gloom and doom.

The global economy has hit severe

turbulence.
The categorisation by WHO of COVID-19 as a pandemic
will fuel the panic. Given that over 103 countries were
reported affected as of March 9, including hard-hit
advanced economies such as Italy, compared to around
26 each at the time of SARS or MERS, and the extreme
containment measures that countries around the world
are having to take, the scale of potential economic
disruption is unprecedented. Huge losses are being
incurred by airlines, hotels, and the wider
tourism/hospitality and recreation industries, among
others.
The fact that China was at the epicentre of this virus is
leading to fears about the economic contagion spreading
far and wide. While China absorbs around 11pc of the
world’s exports, almost 40pc of its own exports, or
nearly $1tr, are supplied to global companies as part of
the latter’s supply chains. (This number is down from
around 80pc at its peak in the early 2000s.) The closure
of factories and all means of transportation between
December and end-February would have imposed
colossal losses that are unlikely to be recouped with a
global economy tipping into a ‘recession’.
According to an estimate by Bloomberg Economics, the
COVID-19 pandemic can cost as much as $2.7tr to the
global economy in the worst case, with the loss to
China’s economy estimated at 2.4pc of GDP.
The more relevant question for us of course is what will
be the economic impact on Pakistan? The most visible
number that commentators are focused on is the
international price of oil. With every decline of $10 per
barrel, Pakistan’s oil import bill drops by approximately
$1.3 billion. With benchmark Brent crude trading at $59
on Feb 20, and having lost almost $25 per barrel as of
March 11, the import bill can fall by over $3.2bn over the
next 12 months if current levels are sustained. Since a
fall in the international price of oil is linked to other
important energy products that Pakistan imports, such
as LNG, the potential savings are likely to be larger.
Lower imported energy prices should translate into a
sharp fall in inflation, with the magnitude depending on
how much of the fall in international prices is passed on
to domestic consumers by the government. The prospect
of sharply lower inflation should spur an interest rate-
cutting cycle by the central bank, which will ease
budgetary pressure on the one hand, and lower the
burden of financial charges for businesses. Cheaper
imported energy prices will also potentially translate
into lower energy costs for businesses and households
via a reduction in electricity and gas tariffs. This should
also ease the pace of accumulation of circular debt.
These are substantial positives. However, the impact is
not unambiguously positive. The upside from lower oil
prices will be limited to an extent by the growth-
diminishing effects of fiscal consolidation. Global
recessionary conditions will also provide headwinds for
Pakistan’s exports. The lower demand and price of oil
could at some stage impact Saudi Arabia’s willingness to
continue with the generous oil facility it has granted to
Pakistan. The enormous impact on the global economy,
with the oil export-dependent Gulf economies hardest
hit, could spill over into the country’s flow of worker
remittances.
In addition, lower oil prices will negatively affect the
government’s main revenue spinner. However, lower
revenue from the import and sale of petroleum will be
offset to some extent by raising the petroleum levy, as
well as via lower debt servicing costs. Finally, conditions
in the global financial markets have prompted
significant outflows from the stock of foreign portfolio
investment in government securities. Between March 9
and 11, around $400 million has flown out from the ‘hot
money’ book, or roughly 12pc of the total invested stock
in a space of three days. This is possibly the start of the
worst case scenario readers will recall I have been
warning against since July last year.
An even bigger risk that stalks Pakistan’s outlook than
all the foregoing near-term ones, however, is that the
economic reprieve from falling oil prices could engender
complacency in the already fairly underwhelming reform
effort this government is undertaking. If so, that would
take us back to where we started — square one.
13 march: WASHINGTON: The United States
summoned China’s ambassador on Friday after
a senior official in Beijing tweeted that the US
military may have started the coronavirus
(Covid-19) pandemic, the State Department said.
“Spreading conspiracy theories is dangerous and
ridiculous. We wanted to put the government on notice
we won’t tolerate it, for the good of the Chinese people
and the world,” a State Department official said.
13 march: PM chaired national security council
meeting concluding:
Fortnight closure of borders with Iran,
Afghanistan from 16th
• International flight operations restricted to
three airports
• All educational institutions shut till April 5
• Ministry of food security asked for contingency
plan
• Not a national emergency, says aide
The escalating coronavirus emergency sent the
stock market on 12 march into its worst slide
since the Black Monday crash of 1987, extending
a sell-off that has now wiped out most of Wall
Street's big gains since US President Donald
Trump took office.
13 march:World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adha-
nom Ghebreyesus declared that Europe was now the
epicentre of COVID-19, describing the death toll as a
“tragic milestone”.
“Any country that looks at the experience of other
countries with large outbreaks and thinks that it won’t
happen to us is making a deadly mistake,” he added.
13 march:Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian went
a step further on Thursday, saying on Twitter that "it
might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan"
— without providing evidence.
14 march: Saarc states hold video moot on virus
today

14 march: Wife of Spanish PM Sanchez has

coronavirus: PM's office
14 march: France to shut 'non-essential' public
places: PM
Top health official Jerome Salomon meanwhile announced
that the death toll from COVID-19 had risen by 12 over the
last day in France to 91, with the total number of infected
standing at 4,500.

14 march: US extends travel ban to UK, Ireland

14 march: Trump takes coronavirus test, US

death toll rises to 50
14 march: The latest figures take the national tally of
COVID-19 cases to 33.
14 march: Govt has sufficient protocols in place
for safety of people: PM Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan says the government is aware of
the dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic and has "put
in place sufficient protocols for the safety and health of our
people".
In a tweet, he noted that the World Health Organisation has
"commended our efforts as being amongst the best in the
world". Said PM Khan
We are alert to the dangers & have put in place
sufficient protocols for the safety and health of our
people. The WHO has commended our efforts as being
amongst the best in the world.
PM says he is personally overseeing measures to
deal with COVID-19
Prime Minister Imran Khan has made his first public
statement on the coronavirus pandemic, telling the nation that
he is "personally overseeing measures" to deal with COVID-
19.
Taking to Twitter, he advised the public to follow safety
instructions issued by the government.

14 march: Malaysia reports 41 new cases, mostly

linked to religious event
Malaysia has reported 41 new cases of coronavirus, most of
them linked to a religious event on the outskirts of Kuala
Lumpur, according to Reuters.
14 march: Sindh reports another coronavirus case;
provincial total now at 17

14 march: UAE shuts Louvre Abu Dhabi, cancels

events and flights
14 march: The first coronavirus case in Islamabad has been
confirmed in a woman that came from USA
This takes the tally of cases in Pakistan to 33

15 march: Greece says fatalities from coronavirus

have risen to four
Global coronavirus death toll passes 6,000
A spike in deaths from the coronavirus in Spain has pushed
the global toll past 6,000, according to an AFP tally compiled
from official sources.
The worldwide death toll rose to 6,036, with 159,844
infections after 105 died in Spain.
While China remains the country with the most deaths with
3,199, the pandemic is now spreading more rapidly in Europe,
with 1,907 deaths in the continent's worst-hit country, Italy.
Mirza calls for 'sagacity, vision and synergy' to
cope with coronavirus crisis
SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has suggested that a
"regional mechanism" should be developed so that Saarc
member states can coordinate and share information on
communicable diseases and minimise the spreading of the
same. He was addressing representatives of Saarc countries at
a video conference to discuss steps the regional bloc can take
to prevent coronavirus from spreading in the region.
He noted that while the novel coronavirus has been declared a
pandemic, "it has been deemed controllable as well". He also
called for "effective coordination at all levels" in the present
situation, adding that "the challenge at hand, demands
sagacity, vision and synergy."
Spain coronavirus cases jump by a third, over 100
new deaths
The number of people infected with the coronavirus in Spain
increased by a third to 7,753 and more than 100 new deaths
were recorded over the last 24 hours, AFP quoted health
officials as saying on Sunday.
The latest spike in Europe's second-most affected country
after Italy comes after the Spanish government imposed a
near-total nationwide lockdown, banning people from leaving
home except to go to work, get medical care or buy food.
The country's death toll from the outbreak climbed to 288 on
Sunday from at least 183, while the total number of cases rose
to 7,753 from 5,753.
Hungary government confirms first death from
coronavirus

With the latest case, the number of patients who have tested
positive for the virus in Karachi today has gone up to five.
Currently 35 people in Sindh have tested positive for COVID-
19
Bulgaria to pay medics on coronavirus frontline
extra
Bulgaria will raise the salaries of all medics involved in
treating coronavirus patients by $566 per month as it steps up
measures to contain the fast-spreading infection, Prime
Minister Boyko Borissov has said.
US expert, NY mayor favour national lockdown
A top US expert of infectious disease has said he would
support a temporary national lockdown to curb the spread of
coronavirus while New York’s mayor said he also was
prepared to lockdown his city, if needed.
“Every option is on the table in a crisis,” Mayor Bill de Blasio
told CNN when asked if he could lockdown New York to curb
the rapidly multiplying deadly virus. “We’ve never seen
anything like this.
"It’s changing every hour so we’re going to constantly make
new decisions," he said.

Travellers fret over long wait as virus screenings

jam US airports
COVID-19 a threat unlike any other, says UN
chief
#COVID19 is a threat unlike any other in our
lifetimes. We must look after each other and protect
the vulnerable.
We are in this together – and we will get through
this, together.

State of emergency: Australia steps up efforts to

curtail virus
Punjab prohibits hoarding of sanitisers, public
gatherings under Section 144
The Punjab home ministry has imposed Section 144 (power to
issue order absolute at once in urgent cases of nuisance or
apprehended danger) of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the
province as part of the administration's measure to prevent the
novel coronavirus from spreading.
According to a notification, issued by Punjab Additional
Chief Secretary (Home) Momin Agha, the following actions
are prohibited in the province for three weeks:
Hoarding of hand sanitisers
Opening of educational institutions and marriage/banquet
halls
Holding examinations
Religious congregations and ceremonies
Festivals
Public/private sports festivals
Any public gathering
Dutch close schools, bars, sex clubs, cannabis
cafes over virus
Coronavirus deaths in Britain jump by 14 to total
35
The number of deaths of Britons with coronavirus jumped by
14 in the last 24 hours to 35, while the number of people
diagnosed rose by 20 per cent to 1,372, Reuters quoted health
authorities as saying on Sunday.
The British government said earlier on Sunday it would step
up its response to the crisis, including isolating older people
“in the coming weeks”.
A total of 40,279 people have been tested in the country, the
health ministry said on Sunday.
PIA suspends flights operations between Pakistan
and Saudi Arabia

16 march:Emmanuel Macron says France 'at war' with

virus
Belarusian leader proposes ‘tractor’ therapy for virus
China sends emergency assistance to Pakistan
China has provided emergency assistance to Pakistan for COVID-19 prevention and control,
according to the China Global Television Network (CGTN).China has provided
emergency assistance to Pakistan for #COVID19 prevention and control, including
12,000 test kits, 300,000 masks, 10,000 protective suits and 4 million U.S. dollars to
build hospitals, according to ambassador Yao Jing

Govt scrambles for resources to meet virus-related expenses

As the government started looking out for grants and aid to fight threat caused by
Coronavirus (Covid-19), the International Monetary Fund agreed not to consider
expenditures to be made on deadly virus in deficit targets.

Time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others: UK PM

Sindh reports 47 new cases; total rises to 150

Patients, at least 1 with coronavirus, break out of

Afghan quarantine
Dozens of Afghan patients held in isolation, including at least one confirmed to have the
coronavirus, escaped from a quarantine facility in western Afghanistan on Monday after
breaking windows and attacking hospital staff, Reuters quoted officials as saying.
Dr Abdul Hakim Tamana, head of the health department of Herat province, said the 38
people who escaped had all recently returned from Iran.

Afghanistan has so far confirmed 21 cases of the coronavirus, mostly in Herat.

Coronavirus kills senior cleric as Iran toll hits 853

.

The disease has now killed at least 12 Iranian politicians and officials, both sitting and
former, and infected 13 more who have either been quarantined or are being treated.

UAE suspends prayers in all houses of worship

including mosques for four weeks
Number of confirmed coronavirus cases in UK rises
to 1,543
AJK PM directs to convert PM House into quarantine
centre for suspected cases
KP reports first coronavirus cases; provincial tally stands at 15

Turkey reports 12 new coronavirus cases in largest

daily rise, brings total to 18 Spain becomes 4th most
virus-infected nation as 1,000 more cases reported
Pakistan’s response to corona virus
Ghabrana nahi hai!': Here's everything Pakistan has done
so far to fight the coronavirus pandemic
Dawn.com takes a look at what Pakistan — which has
53 confirmed cases — has done to contain the spread of
the virus.
Urooj ImranUpdated about 2 hours ago
The new coronavirus — COVID-19 — was
first confirmed on December 31 in Wuhan, China. The
World Health Organisation classified COVID-19 as
pandemic on March 11. Countries all over the world have
taken extraordinary measures to contain the spread of the
virus and deal with infected people. Some of these
measures include travel bans, urging citizens to self-isolate
and closing educational institutions.
Here, Dawn.com takes a look at what Pakistan — which
reported its first case on Feb 26 — has done to contain the
spread of the virus.
Pre-screening at airports
 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announces in
January that all passengers on its flights from
Beijing will be pre-screened.
 Civil Aviation Authority says every passenger from
China will go through health counters in
Islamabad.
 SAPM Mirza says evacuation of Pakistanis from
China is against the larger interest of the country
after four students in Wuhan are confirmed to
have coronavirus.
 Fumigation is declared must for pre-loved items
coming from China.
 Airlines told to get health declaration from
passengers coming to Pakistan in the last week of
February.
Screening of Chinese citizens in the country
Punjab government in January sends a team of doctors
to screen Chinese nationals.
Flights suspended
 PIA suspends flights to Beijing until Feb 2; it
later extends the suspension till March 15.
 Pakistanis stranded in virus-hit China start to
return as flight operations resume.
  Flight operations to Iran are suspended from
midnight of Feb 27.
 PIA suspends flight operation to Qatar and Italy in
March.
 Government announces international flights will
only operate from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad
on March 13.

Zafar Mirza

 · Mar 14, 2020

Our western border will be completely sealed for 2 weeks. After which, if
the integration of screening processes meets requirements, the borders
will be opened. Zaireen coming to Taftan will be quarantined for 14 days
before being further screening in the provinces. -249

Zafar Mirza

In order to further limit cross border spread, Pakistan will

have only 3 airports for international air travel: Karachi,
Lahore, and Islamabad. This will allow for even better
screening. -250

Travel and movement restrictions

 Balochistan government restricts Pakistanis from
going to Iran until the coronavirus is over, as the
number of cases in the neighbouring country rises
to 8 at the end of February.
 Pakistan also temporarily closes its border at all
five entry points — Taftan, Gwadar, Turbat,
Panjgur and Washuk — along the border with Iran.
 Trade activities between Pakistan and
Iran resume after a 13-day suspension on March 8.
  The government announces closure of borders with
Iran and Afghanistan for two weeks.
 The federal government bans large public
gatherings including weddings and conferences;
orders closure of cinemas. Provinces follow suit
with Sindh closing shrines, swimming pools and
gyms etc for three weeks.
In order to further limit cross border spread, Pakistan will have only 3
airports for international air travel: Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. This
will allow for even better screening. -250

Zafar Mirza@zfrmrza

To limit the spread of #COVID19, NSC decided that

large public gatherings are banned until further notice,
e.g:
- PSL matches to be played in empty stadiums
- Closure of wedding halls
- Closure of cinemas
- Ban on big conferences and social events -251

Testing
 Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health
Dr Zafar Mirza says in January that Pakistan
will send samples to the US, China and the
Netherlands for testing because it does not have
testing facilities yet.
 In February, SAPM Mirza says Pakistan is equipped
to test for coronavirus after importing 1,000 kits
from China.
  Sindh cabinet approves Rs100 million to procure
5,000 coronavirus testing kits.
 On March 12, the Prime Minister's Office says
nearly 900,000 travellers have been screened and
471 people have been tested for the coronavirus so
far.

1) National Institute of Health Report (12.03.2020) on

Corona Virus (COVID-19)

- Cumulative travelers Screened: 894,256

- Suspected Cases at Hospitals (Cumulative): 271
- Test Performed (Cumulative): 471
- Test Positive (Cumulative): 20
- Still Admitted: 18
- Discharged: 2

Quarantine
 At the beginning of February, the premier’s aide
on health says that Pakistani citizens stranded in
China will not be allowed to return until they have
been quarantined for 14 days.
 Movement of Chinese working on the Saindak
copper and gold project is restricted.
 Pilgrims who came from Iran are quarantined at
the border after the screening process in Taftan.
 More than 800 people who have recently returned
to Sindh after travelling to Iran have been
quarantined in their homes as of March 3.
 Federal government decides mild to moderate
patients of the virus will be isolated in homes and
critical patients will be admitted to hospitals.
  Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho says
necessary arrangements for developing quarantine
facility outside the immigration section in 25
cubicles at Karachi airport have been made.
 Sindh's chief minister orders establishing
of quarantine centres in every district of the
province on March 14.
Shutting down institutions
 Sindh government announces that educational
institutions in the province will be shut for two
days as the first two cases of coronavirus are
confirmed and later extends them to March 15,
eventually deciding to keep schools closed till May
31.
 Balochistan announces closure of schools until
March 31.
 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet decides on March 13
to close all educational institutions for 15 days.
 Gilgit-Baltistan government announces closure of
schools until March 7, extends it till March 13 and
eventually until March 31.
 Federal government announces closure of schools
across the country until April 5.
A student takes a look at a banner regarding the
symptoms and precautions for the coronavirus at an
entrance of a university in Rawalpindi on March 14. —
AP
Pakistan Super League
The Pakistan Cricket Board gives permission to all
international players participating in the tournament to leave
over coronavirus fears. All Pakistan Super League matches
will now be played in the absence of spectators.
Pakistani cricket teams practice in an empty National
Stadium in Karachi on March 13 after the Pakistan
Cricket Board announced PSL matches will be played
without spectators. — AP
Getting hospitals ready
 Provincial governments, private medical institutes
and the World Health Organisation try to build
stocks of personal protective equipment as its
shortage hampers efforts to deal with coronavirus.
 Mirza claims that the National Action Plan against
the virus is being implemented.
 The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan
allows export of respiratory masks and other
personal protection equipment.
 The federal government decides
to equip Balochistan with all machinery and
resources in order to carry out screening of
pilgrims returning from Iran.
Sindh
 Hospitals in Sindh put on alert over the deadly
coronavirus, according to the health minister.
 Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre constitutes an
18-member Rapid Response Team to prepare
against the novel coronavirus.
 Dow University of Health Sciences in Karachi
becomes the second facility in Pakistan to be able
to detect coronavirus.
 Sindh government decides to form a task force on
coronavirus, a day after Pakistan confirms its first
two cases.
  The Sindh administration asks families who have
recently visited Iran to not send their children to
school for 14 days.
 The government orders all hospitals to share the
record of all patients showing symptoms of
pneumonia so that further medical investigations
can be done to contain coronavirus.
 Sindh establishes 12 isolation centres across the
province.
SenatorMurtaza Wahab
Hospital with 120 beds & 16 ventilators has been
specifically established by #SindhGovt for keeping
#Covid-19 patients under isolation. The location is not
being disclosed for strategic purposes. Thank U.

Punjab
 A high dependency unit (HDU) is established at
three government-run hospitals in Rawalpindi,
later HDUs are established in all districts of
Punjab.
 A 50-bed coronavirus quarantine is set up at
Rawalpindi Institute of Urology.
 Punjab government releases Rs226m to check
coronavirus spread.
 The government sets up a technical team
and trains 10,000 people to deal with the virus.
 Punjab cabinet declares medical emergency across
the province on March 12.

Government of Punjab@GOPunjabPK
Punjab Cabinet's decisions & briefing on #coronavirus:
• Health Emergency declared
• 3,964 Zaireen of Iran screened & under observation
• Quarantine established in DG Khan for 800 Zaireen
(Iran)
• Chinese citizens screened
• Ministerial Committee to decide further actions

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
 Hospitals in Battagram and Shangla set
up coronavirus isolation wards.
 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government declares
emergency for 30 days which it later extends for
three months.
 Around 100 private hospitals of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa reserve a total of 387 beds for
suspected coronavirus cases.
 Rapid response units  are established in all the
districts of KP. At least 920 health workers are
given necessary training apart from protective
equipment; surveillance centres are set up.
 A 12-hour helpline is launched to provide help and
information to citizens from medical professionals
regarding coronavirus.
 The chief minister launches a provincial task
force directly under his chairmanship to deal with
the coronavirus.

Mahmood Khan@IMMahmoodKhan
 ‫کرونا وائرس کی عالمگیر وبا سے نمٹنے کیلئے خیبر پختونخوا حکومت نے‬
‫چند اہم اقدامات کی منظوری دی ہے | صورتحال کی مستقل نگرانی کیلئے‬
‫ اور کابینہ میٹنگ میں چند‬،‫اپنی سربراہی میں ٹاسک فورس تشکیل دی ہے‬
#‫اہم اقدامات کی منظوری دی ہے | خدا کرے ہماری کوششیں بار آور ہوں‬
CoronaOutbreak

Balochistan
 Quetta health authorities establish an isolation
ward in Fatima Jinnah Chest and General Hospital.
 The Balochistan government imposes emergency in
all bordering districts with Iran with immediate
effect.
 Balochistan government releases Rs200m to
combat the coronavirus.
Gilgit-Baltistan
The provincial government declares a health emergency on
March 12.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir
AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider announces health
emergency on March 14.
Other measures
 The National Security Committee decides to start
a media campaign to brief the public about
coronavirus prevention measures and to combat
misinformation.
 It also decides to form a National Coordination
Committee for COVID-19.

Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan

✔@PakPMO

 · Mar 14, 2020

Replying to @PakPMO
In light of the discussion and deliberations of the NSC, the following
decisions were taken, to be implemented with immediate effect and to be
reviewed at the end of the identified time period for each item:-

Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan

✔@PakPMO

1. A National Coordination Committee for COVID-19, to

be convened by SAPM on Health, has been established
to monitor the situation and make necessary decisions
on a daily basis. Committee will have representation of
all provinces and relevant civilian and military
stakeholders.

What other countries are doing

Travel bans and flight suspensions
Several countries including the United States, Saudi Arabia,
India and Kuwait have restricted movement and banned
citizens from countries with a large number of cases from
entering.
Quarantine
Italy has put almost a quarter of its citizens under lockdown to
stop the spread of the virus, Saudi Arabia has sealed off its
Qatif region while other countries such as New Zealand have
asked all citizens returning from abroad to self-isolate.
Testing
Countries all around the world have ramped up testing for the
coronavirus with South Korea conducting nearly 20,000 tests
a day and the United Kingdom increasing its capacity from
1,000 to 10,000 tests a day. Meanwhile, the US has been
criticised for not conducting more tests.
Cancelling events
Major international sports events and conferences have been
cancelled or postponed to stop the spread of COVID-19
including Serie A football games in Italy, the Premier League
in England, the Champions League in Europe, all table
tennis tournaments, and the remainder of the Olympic torch
relay.
Closing educational institutions
Italy, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Ireland and France among other
countries have closed educational institutions.
Closing cultural sites
Cultural sites and popular tourist attractions have started
closing such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum in
France, the Colosseum, Pompeii and the Uffizi Galleries
in Italy, all museums and ruins in Greece, Disneyland in the
US while theatres and cinemas have been closed in Germany.
Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong especially have been
commended for their proactive response to the coronavirus.
Taiwan, in particular, started screening arrivals from Wuhan
before the first contact case was confirmed. All three places
were among the first ones to enforce travel restrictions and
prepare their health systems to deal with the new coronavirus
17 march: Army to help govt fight coronavirus, says
ISPR
As Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa directed his commanders to help the civil administration
tackle coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, the army has said its medical facilities were ready to
deal with the crisis.

“The COAS has directed all commanders to take maximum necessary measures to assist civil
administration for safety and well-being of the people of Pakistan,” the ISPR said in a
statement.

Similar instructions were passed to commanders at the last meeting of the corps commanders
held on March 12. In that meeting, the army chief had called for gearing up to support
national efforts to counter this pandemic

17 march: UK confirmed coronavirus cases rise 26%

to 1,950 in past 24 hours
British cases of coronavirus rose 26 per cent to 1,950 from 1,543 the day
before, Reuters quoted the health ministry as saying.

Britain reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on January 31. There have so far been 56
reported deaths.

“As of 9am on 17 March 2020, 50,442 people have been tested in the UK, of whom 48,492
were confirmed negative and 1,950 were confirmed as positive,” the government said.

17 march: Pakistan Ulema Council issues fatwa on

coronavirus situation
The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) has issued a fatwa detailing precautions for coronavirus,
according to which:

 All political and religious gatherings should be postponed.

 Arabic portion of the Friday sermon should be shortened, while the speech in Urdu
should be discontinued.
 There should be a safe distance between the rows of prayers during congregations.
 Instead of prayer mats, prayers in mosques should be held on the floor, which should
be washed with soap and water.
 It is recommended for old or ill people to pray in their homes.
 Instead of shaking hands or hugging, people should say salam to greet each other.
 It is recommended that prayers should be held in open spaces.
 Hand sanitisers, soaps and masks should not be hoarded and people involved in the
practice should be reported.
 Cleanliness of bathrooms and sinks in mosques should be ensured.
24 marchRs200bn allocated for labour force
• Rs150bn earmarked to support vulnerable families
• Stipend for poor families increased from Rs2,000 to
Rs3,000 per month
• Prices of petroleum products reduced by Rs15 per litre
across the board
25 march : ISLAMABAD: Egypt’s Al-Azhar has issued a fatwa on
the request of President Dr Arif Alvi permitting suspension of
Friday prayers to control the spread of deadly coronavirus
across Pakistan.

“I am thankful to Grand Imam Shaikh of Al-Azhar and Supreme Council for

responding to my personal request to provide guidance to us with regard to
Farz Jamaat and Juma prayers in mosques during coronavirus attack,” the
president said in a tweet on Wednesday.

IN an extraordinary development, the State Bank of Pakistan

announced a large cut in the discount rate equal to 1.5
percentage points. This happened in an unscheduled meeting of
the monetary policy committee that was called at short notice
and deliberated while the prime minister and his team in
Islamabad announced the details of the trillion-rupee-plus
stimulus package. It was, by all accounts, an extraordinary day,
with the government coming up with a mid-year stimulus
package of unprecedented size together with the central bank
announcing a rate cut, which, if coupled with the previous 75bps
cut a week earlier, amounts to 2.25 percentage points, probably
the single largest cut in over a decade. With both these
announcements, the stabilisation that began under the auspices
of the IMF programme now stands terminated and the
government’s hand has been forced to move towards supporting
growth.

28 march: LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on

Saturday announced a Rs10 billion relief package for financial
support of 2.5 million families of daily-wage earners in addition
to the financial support packages announced by the federal
government. Each family will be given Rs4,000 financial
assistance

30 march: The government has launched a “WhatsApp Corona

Helpline” to combat misinformation and deliver updates on the
country’s most popular messaging service.

Asim Jofa along with his team has come up with special
protective gear for medical staff that selflessly continues to work
in hospitals in order to treat patients suffering from Covid-19.

31 march ; Again ruling out the possibility of enforcing a

complete lockdown in the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan
on Monday urged people to fight coronavirus with “wisdom” and
said that a cell had been set up at the Prime Minister Office to
ascertain upward or downward trend of the deadly virus in a
week after which the government would devise its future line of
action.
Approving a coronavirus relief package of Rs1,200 billion, Prime
Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday took serious notice of
suspension of goods transport in the country despite his earlier
order for its restoration and tasked Rangers in Sindh with
ensuring its implementation by taking appropriate measures for
movement of trucks and opening of industries amid a complete
lockdown in the province.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Sunday announced

that the process for payment of Rs144 billion under the Ehsaas
Emergency Cash Programme would commence on April 8, to
support millions of people affected by the countrywide lockdown
amid the coronavirus pandemic.

National unity during pandemic:

The forthright manner in which the armed forces are backing the civil
administration is an example of intragovernmental unity. A similar
example is coordination among the information ministry, ISPR, the health
ministry and the National Disaster Management Authority. Here and there,
we have some evidence of cooperation between official and civil society
teams engaged in distributing food rations amongst the worst-hit
communities. That all this does not amount to national unity cannot be
disputed.

Criticism on gov’t: By now, the most obvious and instructive lesson is

that it is “rapid, decisive and collective action that can prevent the spread”
— as an influential report from London’s Imperial College put it.

And this advice from the World Health Organisation remains imperative to
fight the virus: “Countries must continue to find, test, isolate and treat
every case and trace every contact”. And “If countries rush to lift
restrictions too quickly, the virus could resurge and the economic impact
could be even more severe and prolonged”.

Informed by this perspective, the prime minister might consider taking the
following five steps: 1) send clear, coherent and consistent messages to the
public; 2) act decisively; 3) lead a unified, multilayered, national effort with
close coordination with all provinces; 4) stay a firm course on social
distancing; and above all 5) be guided by the evolving medical science on
the pandemic by giving a lead role to medical specialists who understand
this, not generalist bureaucrats.
Impacts on Pakistan

THE coronavirus pandemic is going to cost Pakistan much more

than the figures being mentioned by various authorities. A fairly
large relief package has been announced, but reaching out to the
needy will be quite a problem.

Educational institutions are unlikely to open soon. A serious effort is

needed to ensure that the largest number possible of children continue
their studies at home. The Higher Education Commission announced a few
days ago that they had developed online courses for all classes. It is
necessary to derive maximum benefit from the HEC’s admirable initiative.

The cancellation of O/A level examinations by CAIE means the students

will lose a year and that will adversely affect their academic and post-
academic careers. A conscious effort is needed to ensure that the disruption
of academic discipline is reduced to the minimum possible.

The cost of disruption of the transport sector will be quite heavy. The
suspension of air and rail traffic will increase the losses of all airlines and
the railways. The burden of the PIA bailout will become unbearable.

Comprehensive studies are needed on the

impact of the epidemic on work, employment
and incomes.
Perhaps a bigger problem than daily wagers’ is that of self-employed
persons — chhabri-wallahs, street vendors, food cart operators et al.

The restrictions on the mobility of the well-to-do will affect many

businesses.

It seems there is a need to create special cells in the finance or economic

affairs division of the federal government and the relevant departments of
the provincial governments to undertake comprehensive studies of the
impact of the epidemic on the work, employment and incomes of the
people, especially the more vulnerable among them, and devise means of
preventing people from dying of hunger, want and despair.

The question of the cost of testing people for infection and their stay in
isolation wards at private hospitals also needs to be addressed. Efforts
should be made to ensure free treatment for all patients.

In this regard, the State Bank’s decision to offer hospitals credit for buying
equipment to fight the coronavirus epidemic ought to be reviewed as
hospitals could be tempted to pass on the burden of interest to patients..
The leaders in the fight against the epidemic are the brave doctors, their
assistants, nurses and support staff. The decision to increase their wages by
a handsome margin, though belated, can only be welcomed. Care should be
taken to ensure that the benefit of the pay raise is available to each and
every member of the team attending patients and that the low-paid staffers
in particular are not ignored.

A cost that might not cause anxiety to the prime minister and his
government will be the grave economic crisis of newspapers that are
already on the official hit list..

One redeeming feature of the national trial is the training citizens are
receiving, apart from proper attention to personal cleanliness and hygiene,
in online banking and shopping.

a realisation is growing that had the state paid due attention to compulsory
health insurance and extension of social security to the widest possible
section of the population, the fight against the epidemic could have been
somewhat easier.

26 march: KARACHI: The US dollar appreciated more

aggressively on Thursday as it gained Rs4.53 against the local
currency, leaving little hope for exchange rate stability,
particularly due to disinvestment in the domestic bonds.

Demand in the country for electricity, natural gas and petroleum

products has dropped dramatically as a result of the coronavirus
epidemic, creating serious operational and financial challenges
in the supply chain.

09 April: AN unexpected development has given Pakistan an

additional two months in which to complete the action plan steps
that were going to be reviewed in June. The Financial Action
Task Force told the government of Pakistan that the June
meeting will not be held due to the ongoing coronavirus situation
and Pakistan’s progress on its action plan will be evaluated in
August instead

09 April: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday formally

launched the Rs144 billion Ehsaas Relief Programme and a sum
of Rs50bn was given to banks for distribution of Rs12,000 four-
month stipend among the families of poor and daily-wage
earners who have been hit hard by the lockdown across the
country due to coronavirus.

IMF rescue package

IT is heartening to hear that the government is in fast-track talks with the
International Monetary Fund to accelerate balance-of-payments support for
Pakistan as the country gears up for its fight with the coronavirus. The lockdowns
that are necessary will exact a terrible toll from industry, and more importantly,
from the workforce and the poor, who must be protected, even if extraordinary
measures are required. This effort will not only cost money, primarily for ramped-
up social protections schemes and investments in healthcare provision, but many of
the targets set in the IMF programme are now going to have to be set aside almost
entirely. Some examples might be revenues and spending, as well as ceilings on
government borrowing. These are extraordinary times and all tools available to the
state must be mobilised to build the capacity necessary for success in this fight.
There is no alternative to lockdowns to arrest the spread of the virus, and there is
little option but to rapidly boost social protection programmes to enable the
vulnerable to weather the resultant freeze in their incomes. The only question right
now is how to get all this done.
04 April

PM Imran Khan:In the subcontinent, with a high rate of poverty, we are faced with
the stark choice of having to balance between a lockdown necessary to slow
down/prevent the spread of COVID19 & ensuring people don't die of hunger & our
economy doesn't collapse. So we are walking a tightrope.

03 april: Pakistan and the World Bank on Friday signed a $200

million ‘Pandemic Response Effective Project’ (PREP) that will
help the poor and vulnerable cope with the immediate impact of
the Covid-19 pandemic through social protection measures, food
rations and remote learning education.

Criticism on gov’ts approach: Last week, Imran Khan finally seemed to

give in, juggling the budget to marshal a new “relief package” of a couple of
hundred billion rupees for the jobless during a half-hearted, uneven lockdown that
mocks the very notion of “lockdown” and makes nonsense of economic-revival
policy. Interprovincial travel is banned, intercity isn’t; any business enterprise with
“labour” may remain open – which means all manufacturing units and many retail
shops – but self-operated small general merchant shops (which most need to stay
afloat) may not; the construction industry – supplier of housing – may get special
incentives and not disclose the source of its investment (black money) but the
buyer of housing (demand for housing) is left out in the cold; tailors and
bookshops may open but cloth merchants, schools, printers and publishers who are
recipients of their services are locked down; it is all right for most to get back to
“business as usual” behind the fig leaf of a “lockdown”. Meanwhile, the moral
factor at the heart of his decision remains unspoken: it is ok to keep the economy
going even as tens of thousands of Pakistanis could die in the “bargain”!
17 march: Iran reports 135 new virus deaths, raising
total to 988
17 march: Trump presses for $1tr stimulus as US virus
deaths cross 100
18 march:Sindh govt decides to convert Karachi Expo
Centre into 10,000-bed hospital
CJP calls emergency meeting
Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has called an emergency meeting of all chief justices of the high
courts to decide if cases will be heard in courts from next week in view of the prevailing
coronavirus situation.

Third coronavirus patient in Karachi recovers

Washington reports 11 new deaths, state's tally
highest in US
Washington state health officials have reported 11 new deaths from the new coronavirus,
bringing the state tally of fatalities to 65 — the highest in the US.

Most of the deaths were associated with the Life Care Center, a nursing home in Seattle,
Washington. To date, 35 of the state's deaths have been linked to that facility.

German leader calls coronavirus biggest challenge

since WWII

READ: Have Chinese authorities identified patient

zero for COVID-19?
The very first case of coronavirus, which originated from China's Hubei province, can be
traced as far back as November 17, 2019, according to the South China Morning Post.

Citing government data, the publication says that a 55 year-old from Hubei could have been
the first person to have contracted COVID-19.

From that date onwards, one to five new cases were reported each day. By December 15,
2019, the total number of infections stood at 27 and by December 20, 2019, the total number
of confirmed cases had reached 60.

ABOUT 5 HOURS AGO

US sanctions Iran, seeks release of Americans amid

coronavirus outbreak

The United States imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, keeping up its economic
pressure campaign despite an earlier offer to help Tehran cope with the
#coronavirus pandemic https://reut.rs/33oMYCu 

India has also prepared a rescue package of up to $1.6 billion to aid carriers battered by
coronavirus, Reuters* quoted a government sources as saying.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country will shut schools due to the
coronavirus outbreak  
Mass move to work from home in coronavirus crisis
creates opening for hackers: cyber experts

Oil rockets nearly 20pc as investors hail coronavirus

stimulus spending — for now
Oil prices have surged as much as nearly 20 per cent, bouncing back from days of heavy
losses in a relief rally that may yet be short-lived, analysts warned, but which was stoked by
economic stimulus efforts to ward off a global coronavirus recession.

Brent crude LCOc1 was up $2.10, or 8pc, at $26.98 a barrel by 0028 GMT after tumbling
13% on Wednesday in a third day of relentless selling. U.S. oil CLc1 gained $3.44, or 17pc,
to $23.81 a barrel after slumping nearly 25pc in the previous session.

“After a 24pc crash, oil prices are firming up on some selling exhaustion and as US and
European leaders unleash ... aid and stimulus,” said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at
OANDA in New York.

Japan may hand out cash to households in stimulus

package to battle virus fallout
Japan will look into offering cash payouts to households as part of a stimulus package that
could be worth more than $276 billion to combat the widening fallout from the coronavirus
outbreak, joining efforts across the world to roll out huge fiscal support to fend of recession
risks.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura was quoted by Reuters as saying that the stimulus
package, likely to be compiled by the government in April, will be bold enough to fend off a
crisis he described as potentially more serious than when the collapse of Lehman Brothers in
2008 jolted financial markets.

US suspending visa services worldwide due to

coronavirus: State Dept
.

.
WHO to launch multinational trial to jumpstart
search for coronavirus drugs
WHO Director General Ethiopia's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addresses an audience at
the headquarters in Geneva.
The World Health Organisation has said that it would launch a multiarm, multicountry
clinical trial for potential coronavirus therapies, part of an aggressive effort to jumpstart the
global search for drugs to treat COVID-19.

Four drugs or drug combinations already licensed and used for other illnesses will be tested,
said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

According to STATenter link description here, ten countries have already indicated they will
take part in the trial.

ADB, WB to give $588m to Pakistan for fight against

virus
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank have committed to providing $588
million to Pakistan for its emergency response to fight coronavirus and cater to the
socioeconomic impact of the pandemic.

This was announced by the Planning Commission after a meeting with country
representatives of the two lending agencies on Pakistan’s preparedness and response to fight
COVID-19.

According to an official statement, the World Bank would provide $238m and the ADB
$350m to Pakistan in support for the COVID-19 emergency response and to address the
socio-economic disruption associated with it.

@WorldBank Group just announced an increased $14 billion package of fast-track financing
to help sustain economies, support businesses, and protect jobs, amid the #COVID19
pandemic.

Intervention may be necessary to calm world

markets, says IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reminded governments that foreign exchange
intervention may be necessary if the corona crisis causes markets to behave disorderly.

The IMF has suggested a number of policy measures that governments across the globe could
take to protect their economies from the adverse effects of the coronavirus, which has also
stirred the fears of an economic meltdown.

“Exchange rate flexibility can offset external shocks, but foreign exchange intervention may
be necessary if market conditions become disorderly,” the IMF suggests.

With 5 new patients, Punjab's coronavirus tally rises

to 33
KP reports second death from coronavirus in a day
A second patient has died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from the novel coronavirus, KP Health
Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra tweeted.

The announcement comes less than two hours after the first COVID-19 death was reported
from KP, which was also the first death from the virus in Pakistan.

The latest fatality is a 36-year-old patient from Hangu, who was being treated at Peshawar's
Lady Reading Hospital.

Pakistan records first death from coronavirus in KP

KP Health Minister Taimur Jhagra confirmed that a man in Mardan, who tested positive for
the novel coronavirus, had passed away.

SBP urges banking sector to promote digital

payments so people won't have to visit banks, ATMs
AJK reports first coronavirus case
A 45-year-old man was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Azad Jammu and Kashmir
(AJK), marking the region's first case of the virus.

AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider said that the patient is being kept in isolation and his
condition is satisfactory. The patient returned from Taftan recently.

PM Imran, Punjab CM Buzdar visit quarantine facility

in DG Khan
،‫ رہائش‬، ‫ کوروناوائرس کی سکریننگ‬،‫وزیراعظم کو ڈی جی خان میں قائم سینٹرل کمانڈ روم میں زائرین کی آمد‬
 ‫کھانے پینے کے حوالے سے کئے جانے والے اقدامات اور انتظامات پر بریفنگ‬
‫وزیراعظم نے ڈی جی خان میں قرنطینہ مرکز کا دورہ کیا اور زائرین سے ان کی خیریت دریافت کی ۔‬

Pakistan records first death from coronavirus

Pakistan has recorded its first death from the novel coronavirus.

A 90-year-old man from Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district died from the virus during
treatment, GB government spokesperson Faizullah Firaq confirmed. Health Secretary Rashid
Ahmed had earlier stated the patient's age to be 58.

".

Confirmed cases of coronavirus top 200,000

worldwide
Confirmed cases of the new coronavirus have crossed 200,000 worldwide, according to the
Johns Hopkins University's tally.

More than 850 million students worldwide not at

school: UNESCO
Calling it an “unprecedented challenge” for education, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization has said that schools had been closed in 102 countries,
with partial closures in 11 more — and there would be more closures

20 march:New York joins California in lockdown while Italy's toll

grows to 4,000

PM Imran urges West to lift sanctions on Iran

This file photo shows Prime Minister Imran Khan with President Hassan Rouhani. —
AFP/File
Prime Minister Imran Khan has called on the international community to remove sanctions
on Iran, enabling the neighbouring country to better deal with the novel coronavirus crisis.
“I would stress and insist the international community to lift the sanctions on Iran. It is
very unjust they are dealing with such a large outbreak on one side, and on the other they
are facing international sanctions,” said the prime minister at a press briefing.
Air Canada to lay off more than 5,000 flight attendants: unionAir Canada plans to
temporarily lay off more than 5,000 flight attendants, due to the new coronavirus
pandemic, AFP quoted their union as saying on Friday.
Sindh CM calls for 'voluntary' self-isolation during next 3 days
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has urged people in the province to observe "voluntary"
self-isolation during the next three days to control the spread of coronavirus.
Panic is more dangerous than corona,' says PM Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan has highlighted the "huge role" media can play to help prevent
panic from spreading among the public due to COVID-19.

He termed panic as "more dangerous" than coronavirus.

"Panic will cause more damage than the virus ... if people start panic buying, what can the
government do?" he said.

Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 1,433

Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said 1,237 more cases of the new coronavirus have
been confirmed over the past 24 hours and 19,644 people are now known to have been
infected in Iran, one of the world's worst-hit countries, AFP reports.

“More than 50 per cent of our ready-to-shipment export orders have been
delayed by importers in several countries especially in Europe, where most
of the cities are facing lockdowns due to Covid-19 outbreak,” the Pakistan
Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) Secretary General Aziz Ullah Goheer
said while talking to Dawn on Friday.
22 march: KARACHI: The outgoing week was nightmarish for
the stock market which saw the KSE-100 index sink by 5,393
points, representing the heaviest point-wise fall in the history.
The federal government is offering $10 million to the Sindh
administration to help it fight coronavirus, said Sindh Governor
Imran Ismail on Saturday.
 The Pak-Afghan border at Chaman was opened on Saturday
after 19 days of closure to allow trucks loaded with Afghan
transit trade goods, fresh fruits and other items.
24 march: e provincial tally to 78.

Pakistan further cuts policy rate by 150 basis points to 11pc

Pakistan has cut its benchmark policy rate by 150 basis points to 11 per cent, a week after
lowering the cost of borrowing by 75 bps, central bank said.

State Bank of Pakistan announced the second cut in a week saying: "Monetary Policy
Committee (MPC) has decided to cut the policy rate by a further 150 basis points to 11
percent.

"It noted considerable uncertainty about how the Coronavirus outbreak would impact the
global economy and Pakistan."

Petrol, diesel prices to be reduced by Rs15

During a media briefing, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that petrol and diesel prices
will be reduced Rs15.
"Petrol, diesel, kerosene and light diesel will all be reduced by Rs15 per litre," he said.

Shares at PSX routed after country goes into

lockdown over virus threat
The Pakistan Stock Exchange opened for trading two hours late at 11:30am on Tuesday, a
day after the army was called in to impose a country-wide lockdown to curb the spread of the
novel coronavirus which has affected over 900 people since the country's first case on Feb
26.

IOC president agrees '100pc' to proposal for

postponing Olympics for about 1 year: Shinzo Abe
We are not doing so bad, says PM Imran
PM Imran Khan has said that provinces need to think matters through before taking a
decision. Talking to journalists, the premier said that a lockdown across the country would
have a lasting impact on poor people.

"We are not doing that bad," he insisted.

Panic poses more threat than coronavirus, says PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the country is threatened more by panic than the
novel coronavirus.

In a media briefing, the premier said that Pakistan does not have a strong economy like the
countries in the West.

He also negated the impression that the government was unprepared for the crisis, saying that
administration has been reviewing the situation since January

PM Imran announces tax refunds, concessions for

businesses
PM Imran opposes curfew, says it will have negative
impact
Prime Minister Imran Khan says the impact of a curfew in Pakistan on the economy would be
immense.

"If I am living in Defence, I have a big garden, why would I care about how the poor people
will be impacted?" he said in a media briefing.

PML-N to donate 10,000 protective kits for health

workers
Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has
announced that the party will donate 10,000 protective kits, approved by the Drug Regulatory
Authority of Pakistan, to the country's medical association.

In a tweet, he said: "We need to give our medical professionals a sense of safety as they treat
coronavirus patients."

Punjab reports first virus death

US man dies after ingesting chloroquine in an

attempt to prevent coronavirus
Shehbaz urges PM Imran to call CCI meeting
Pakistan pilots to donate 3-day salary to Covid-19
fund
Pakistan Airline Pilots' Association (Palpa) has announced that all pilots would donate three
days' salary to the Covid-19 Fund created by the federal government.

Qureshi thanks French counterpart for taking care

of 13 Pakistanis affected by virus there
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian to
discuss the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a press release from the Foreign Office, the two minister discussed ways to
enhance cooperation to combat the spread of the disease.

Qureshi thanked the French foreign minister for looking after 13 Pakistanis affected in his
country.

In view of the situation in Iran, Foreign Minister Qureshi underscored the need for immediate
lifting of sanctions and extending humanitarian assistance to the country.

He also expressed concern over the continuing communication and movement lockdown in
occupied Jammu and Kashmir, especially with the pandemic spreading all over the world.

I am very glad to share that the @WHO Health Alert via @WhatsApp has already
reached over 10 million users. Thank you for your trust! Together, we can stop
#COVID19!http://bit.ly/who-covid-19-whatsapp …
https://twitter.com/WhatsApp/status/1241110782235930624?s=20 …
To win, we need to attack the virus with aggressive
and targeted tactics: WHO chief
"Asking people to stay at home and other physical distancing measures are an important way
of slowing down the spread of the virus and buying time — but they are defensive measures,"
said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO),
stressing: "You can't win a football game only by defending. You have to attack as well."

"To win, we need to attack the virus with aggressive and targeted tactics — testing every
suspected case, isolating and caring for every confirmed case, and tracing and quarantining
every close contact."

He also warned that the pandemic is accelerating. "It took 67 days from the 1st reported case
to reach the first 100K cases, 11 days for the second 100K cases and just 4 days for the third
100K cases."

)
China reports 78 new virus cases
China has reported 78 new cases of the deadly coronavirus, with a vast majority brought in
from overseas as fears rise of a second wave of infections,

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has directed the

banks to clean, disinfect, seal and quarantine all currency being
collected from hospitals and clinics, blocking it from circulation.

14 April: THE World Bank has just released its first major report
looking in detail at the economic projections for the South Asian
region as the Covid-19 fight continues, and the findings are
severe. In uncharacteristically blunt language, the report
declares at the outset that the economic scenario staring the
entire region in the face is “dire”. The impact on poverty could be
“catastrophic” and the region will see “the worst economic
performance of the last 40 years”. The bank has brought the
regional growth forecast down to a range between 1.8pc and
2.8pc for the year 2020, where its earlier forecast was 6.3pc only
six months ago. This is a near catastrophic downgrade, and for
Pakistan the projection for the ongoing fiscal year could be as
dismal as negative 2.2pc, meaning the economy would actually
have shrunk instead of having grown.
15 April: International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday night
approved the disbursement of $1.386 billion to Pakistan under
the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to address the economic
impact of the Covid-19 shock.
US citizen dies after ingesting chloroquine in an
attempt to prevent Covid-19
Troops deployed to help in fight against virus
24 march: Wall Street surges on hopes of $2 trillion
rescue packa
US could be next 'virus epicentre' as India locks
down, global recession looms
The United States could become the global epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, the World
Health Organisation said, as India announced a full 24-hour, nationwide lockdown in the
world’s second-most populous country.

India joined the ranks of Britain and other countries clamping down to hold back the virus as
business activity collapsed from Japan to the United States at a record pace in March.

“The global health crisis is rapidly morphing into a global recession, as there is a clear
tension between preventing infections and ruining the economy,” Reuters quoted Edoardo
Campanella, an economist at UniCredit Bank in Milan as saying.

When Saadat Khan, 50, returned to Pakistan on March 9 from a

pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, he was greeted in his village with a
rousing welcome and a grand feast attended by more than 2,000
people, many of whom embraced him warmly.

The impact of the global slowdown has also started showing on Pakistan’s
exports as a large majority of exporters of apparel and home textiles last
week received emails from their European and American buyers to “stop all
shipments and further production for them forthwith.” Some western
importers have asked their Pakistani suppliers to suspend shipments for
three weeks and others for even a longer period. The impact of disruption
in export shipments has not only affected apparel and home textile
exporters but is now rippling through the entire domestic textile supply
chain, putting at risk the livelihood of thousands of factory workers.

25 march; MADRID: Spain’s coronavirus toll overtook that of

China on Wednesday, rising to 3,434 after another 738 people
died as Madrid announced a multi-million-euro deal with Beijing
for critical supplies

WASHINGTON: The White House and Senate have reached

agreement on a $2 trillion stimulus package for the US economy
and millions of Americans ravaged by the coronavirus crisis, top
lawmakers said early on Wednesday.

UNITED NATIONS: The coronavirus pandemic is threatening the entire

human race, the United Nations warned on Wednesday as it launched a
humanitarian response plan featuring an appeal for $2 billion to help the
world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

28 march: LONDON: Azam Khan, who is regarded as one of the world’s

best squash players, passed away at the age of 95 in London after a week-
long battle with coronavirus.Khan tested positive for Covid-19 last week
and breathed his last at London’s Ealing Hospital, family sources said on
Saturday.

29 march :Another 30 days of severe economic and

social disruption for Americans
Americans are now being called on to prepare for another 30 days of severe economic and
social disruption, as schools and businesses are closed and public life is upended. One in 3
Americans remain under state or local government orders to stay at home to slow the spread
of the virus.

US President Donald Trump acknowledged that he may be forced to extend the guidelines
again at the end of April, but expressed hope that by June 1, “we should be well on our way
to recovery”.

“I want our life back again,” the president told reporters

Trump’s impulse to reopen the country met a sober reality check Sunday from Dr Anthony
Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, who said the US could experience
more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the pandemic. That warning
hardened a recognition in Washington that the struggle against the coronavirus will not be
resolved quickly even as Trump expressed a longing for normalcy.

PM orders opening of all highways for goods supply

Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered removing all hurdles in the way of transportation of
goods and opening all national highways to ensure smooth and adequate supply of food items
from farms/factories to markets amid “panic buying” due to deadly coronavirus scare.

He also reiterated his commitment to providing ration at the doorsteps of the poor and daily
wage earners — who are said to be the worst-affected segments of population during the
countrywide lockdown enforced to prevent the spread of Covid-19 — through a force of
young volunteers he is going to formally form on Monday.

Govt claims 27pc cases due to local transmission

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has said that 420 cases, which
was over 27 per cent of the total confirmed case, were the result of local transmission of
virus.

The PM’s aide said: “Over 120 cases have been reported during the last 24 hours. But a good
thing is that as many as 28 victims have been fully recovered. We have reduced the pace of
cases due to effective steps of social distancing but all those successes can be ruined if people
ignore social distancing.

“As many as 857 cases were reported in the persons who had travelled to Iran and 191
persons, found positive for Covid-19 tests, had travelled to different countries other than
Iran,” Dr Mirza said.

How destructive have Covid-19 and oil price wars

been for economy?
How much damage has the coronavirus and the oil price collapse inflicted on global financial
markets this year? Put simply, it has probably been the most destructive sell-off since the
Great Depression, Reuters reported.

About $15 trillion has been wiped off of world stock markets, oil has slumped 60 per cent as
Saudi Arabia and Russia have started a price war and emerging markets like Brazil, Mexico
and South Africa have seen their currencies plummet more than 20pc.

“It has been like a train wreck,” Chris Dyer, Director of Global Equity at Eaton Vance, said.
“You could see it coming and coming and coming, but you just couldn’t stop it happening.”

29 march; 27 members staying at Raiwind Tableeghi

Markaz test positive
As many as 27 members of the Tableeghi Jamaat staying at the Raiwind Tableeghi Markaz
have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to health authorities.

German minister commits suicide after 'virus crisis

worries'
The finance minister of Germany's Hesse state Thomas Schaefer has committed suicide
apparently after becoming “deeply worried” over how to cope with the economic fallout from
the coronavirus, state premier Volker Bouffier said according to AFP.

Coronavirus worst crisis since WWII, says UN chief

The extraordinary economic and political upheaval spurred by the virus presents a real danger
to the relative peace the world has seen over the last few decades, United Nations Secretary
General Antonio Guterres said, according to AFP.

The “disease [...] represents a threat to everybody in the world and [...] an economic impact
that will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past.

"The combination of the two facts and the risk that it contributes to enhanced instability,
enhanced unrest, and enhanced conflict are things that make us believe that this is the most
challenging crisis we have faced since World War II,” he said.

We must respond decisively – with shared responsibility & global solidarity - to stop
the spread of #COVID19 and the devastation it is causing everywhere.
US Covid-19 death toll overtakes China
Rangers told to ensure movement of goods transport
Rangers are going to ensure that goods are transported to all parts of the country —
AFP/File
Approving a coronavirus relief package of Rs1,200 billion, Prime Minister Imran Khan took
serious notice of suspension of goods transport in the country despite his earlier order for its
restoration and tasked Rangers in Sindh with ensuring its implementation by taking
appropriate measures for movement of trucks and opening of industries amid a complete
lockdown in the province.

Attock Refinery says will close in a week unless

demand rises
Attock Refinery is operating its 54,000 barrels per day (bpd) plant at 29 per cent capacity and
is prepared to shut the complex in a week's time if local demand does not recover, the
company's top official has said.

If it closes, it would be the third refinery in the country to halt operations because of the
collapse in demand as the country implements a lockdown to try to limit the spread of Covid-
19.

NCA, SPD employees contribute salaries to Covid-19

relief fund
Scientists, engineers and employees of the National Command Authority (NCA) and
Strategic Plans Division (SPD) have contributed their salaries to the Covid-19 Relief Fund as
follows, according to an ISPR statement:

 Employees of Special Pay Scale 11-14: 3 days' salary

 Employees of Special Pay Scale 8-10: 2 days' salary
 Employees of Special Pay Scale 1-7: 1 day's salary
Gen Nadeem Raza, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee contributed one month’s pay to
the relief fund, the ISPR said.

01 April :As coronavirus spreads, UN seeks Yemen urgent peace talks

resumption

Germany's death toll is much lower than the rest of

Europe
this March 23 file photo, medical employees demonstrate testing, at a
coronavirus test centre for public service employees, during a media
presentation in Munich, Germany. Labs were quick to ramp up their
testing capacity and now experts say up to 500,000 tests can be
conducted in Germany per week. That quick work, coupled with the
country's large number of intensive care unit beds and its early
implementation of social distancing measures, could be behind Germany's
relatively low death toll. — AP
Late last year — long before most people had heard of the new coronavirus
now sweeping the globe — scientists in Germany sprang into action to develop
a test for the virus that was causing an unusual respiratory disease in central
China.

They had one by mid-January — and labs around the country were ready to start
using it just weeks later, around the same time that Europe’s most populous
country registered its first case.

“It was clear that if the epidemic swept over here from China, then we had to start
testing,” said Hendrik Borucki, a spokesman for Bioscientia Healthcare, which
operates 19 labs in Germany

03 April: World Bank sees 'major global recession'

due to pandemic
World Bank Group President David Malpass said the rapidly spreading Covid-19 pandemic
was expected to cause a “major global recession” that would likely hit the poorest and most
vulnerable countries the hardest, Reuters reported.

“We intend to respond forcefully and massively with support programs, especially for poor
countries,” Malpass said in a posting on the LinkedIn networking site.

Tunisia’s interior ministry has deployed a police robot to patrol

the streets of the capital and enforce a lockdown imposed last
month as the country battles the spread of coronavirus.

05 April: LONDON: The coronavirus pandemic is increasing

poverty in Britain, where levels are already high after a decade of
austerity triggered by the global financial crisis, according to
experts.

Official data shows that more than 14 million people in the UK are classed
as living in poverty, or nearly one-quarter of the population.

Some 4.2 million children are poor, or around 30 percent of the total,
government figures show.

07 April: The disruption to the world’s economies caused by the Covid-19

pandemic is expected to wipe out 6.7% of working hours globally in the second
quarter of this year – the equivalent of 195 million jobs worldwide, according
to the UN’s labour body. ILO
10 April; South Korea reports 91 recovered coronavirus
patients test positive again
Covid-19 lockdown sparks harvest crises in Pakistan,
India
Henry Kissinger in an article in wall street journal
titled the corona pandemic will forever alter the
world order, said that China is presenting itself as
an emerging provider of global public goods, thus
trying to fill a gap that Washington seems more and
more reluctant to tackle
Saarc) – Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri
Lanka, Bhutan, and Bangladesh – to fight the pandemic together.
As part of the joint collaboration India has pledged USD 10
million, Pakistan has pledged USD 3 million, Sri Lanka has
pledged USD 5 million, Bangladesh has pledged USD 1.5 million,
Nepal and Afghanistan have pledged USD 1 million each,
Maldives has pledged USD 200,000 and Bhutan has pledged USD
100,000.
15 April: “Now is a time for unity in the global battle to push the Covid-19
pandemic into reverse, not a time to cut the resources of the WHO, which is
spearheading and coordinating the global body’s efforts,” said Mr Guterres.

President Trump announced on Tuesday that he was suspending US funds

to the WHO over its handling of the pandemic, pending a review.

Accusing the WHO of “severely mismanaging the spread of coronavirus”,

Mr Trump said the US had been “forced to find other ways to work with
other nations to achieve public health goals”.

According to the US Labour Department, 10 million Americans

lost their jobs in two weeks due to pandemic in April
Trump has presented the freezing of US funding to the WHO as a
direct response to what he claims was its slow reaction in raising
the alarm over the global threat from the coronavirus and being too
“China-centric” in its response. But the organisation’s funding was
already in his sights on 7 February, when his administration was
suggesting cutting the US contribution, about $400m annually.

Political backdrop before pandemic

THE future holds much uncertainty with an unfolding health
crisis convulsing the world. But the reality that will continue to
shape the post-pandemic world is this. While unprecedented
global cooperation and a collective response will be needed to
negotiate multiple challenges — threats to public health,
economic recovery, food security, looming recession and
unemployment — many countries will tend to turn inwards and
act on their own. This paradox did not emerge during the
pandemic. It has been evident in recent years but thrown into
sharper relief by the Covid-19 crisis.

The world is in fact passing through one of history’s most unsettled periods
with a number of trends reconfiguring the international landscape: retreat
from multilateralism at a time of multipolarity, anti-globalisation
sentiment, erosion of a rules-based international order, trade and
technology wars between big powers and the rise of populist leaders who
reject internationalism, pursue ultra-nationalist policies and act
unilaterally.

 ‘Poor countries need to think twice about social distancing’

published on Foreign Policy’s website, argued that poorer
countries may not be able to afford lockdowns and that such
policies may not be as effective as they are elsewhere.
The Times of India’s website quotes economics Nobel laureate
Angus Deaton: “countries with strong administrations and
health systems could enforce social spacing, comprehensive
testing, isolation… [to] check the epidemic. But in poor countries
with weak administrative and medical capacity, shutdowns
would not check the disease. … [T]he disease would spread
despite shutdowns.”
21 April: While briefing the media after a cabinet meeting in
Islamabad, Awan said that one million chloroquine tablets will
be sent to Saudi Arabia and United States each, 500,000 to
Turkey and Italy each, 5m to the United Kingdom, 700,000 to
Kazakhstan and 300,000 to Qatar.
22 April: “The Government of Pakistan is launching an initial
US$ 595 million coordinated multi-sectoral Preparedness and
Response Plan to combat Covid-19 in a bid to suppress and
mitigate the spread of Coronavirus,” a statement from the
Foreign Office said.
According to WB report Pakistan was among 1st 6 countries to
evaluate their readiness
18th amendment and coronavirus
“Not only Pakistan but the whole world is faced with an
unprecedented challenge in the form of Covid-19 and a collective
response is required to meet it,” he said. “But the 18th
Amendment has delegated the regulatory powers even over
industries to the provinces and the federal government can only
issue policy guidelines.”
Former senate chairman raza Rabbani said “The state is not interested in
the actual provincial autonomy given in the 18th Amendment. It is not the
government behind the emerging move because it lacks political vision and
brain on the essence of the 18th amendment.

“However, some pro-state elements are more interested to repeal or just

rollback it to curb provincial autonomy; particularly they want to change
the composition of National Finance Commission (NFC) award by cutting
the share of the provinces. The consequences of fiddling with the most
important part of the constitution would be disastrous for the national
integrity,” he said.

In Madrid’s deserted streets with paying customers scarce, taxi

drivers running doctors from house-to-house or taking the sick
to hospital have become an essential service, their free rides
helping frontline medics fight the virus.

Only the government can tackle a crisis of such scope — for instance, the
Edhi Foundation’s annual budget of roughly Rs1.5 billion pales in
comparison to the government’s latent Ehsaas Relief Programme which
aims to dole out Rs144bn to 12 million recipients over the coming four
months. This is not to belittle the efforts of the many citizens risking their
lives to help others, but rather to demonstrate that government-led social
transfers can be more effective than anything organised by civil society,
especially amidst a crisis like the current one.

Pandemics will continue in future

historian William McNeill’s Plagues and Peoples. The book first came out in
1977,
The motif that runs through McNeill’s work is somewhat simple: Sapiens are part
of the earth’s ecosystem “and participate in the food chain whereby we kill and eat
various plants and animals, while our bodies provide a fair field full of food for a
great variety of parasites.”
UNITED NATIONS: The economic consequences of the Covid-19
pandemic could push as many as 86 million more children into
poverty by the end of 2020, a joint study by Save the Children
and Unicef showed on 27 may 2020