Chagai/Quetta: Dr Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on National Health Services, said that effective measures were being taken to deal with novel coronavirus in the country.

During his visit to the Taftan border where he inspected arrangements made at Pakistan House and the Federal Investigation Agency’s immigration office in connection with containing the spread of the virus, Dr Mirza urged people not to panic after detection of coronavirus cases in Pakistan, Dawn reported.

He said the government was committed to stopping the spread of coronavirus in the country, adding that the Pakistan-Iran border had been closed and pilgrims who came from Iran were quarantined at the border after the screening process in Taftan, a border town in Chagai district.

He said that screening at all airports and entry points at land routes were being carried out and separate wards had been set up in hospitals across the country to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country. He said a helpline number (1166) had also made for emergency situations concerning coronavirus.