Pakistan's first coronavirus patient recovers; discharged from hospital.

ISLAMABAD: The first patient of coronavirus in Karachi who contracted the infection has recovered, Sindh government confirmed on Friday.

"Very happy to inform that the 1st corona virus patient in #Sindh who was being attended to has recovered and his tests have now come out as NEGATIVE. Alhamdolillah," Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab posted on his Twitter handle.

Sindh health department spokesperson said the patient had been diagnosed with the coronavirus 10 days ago. However, he has tested negative thrice for the virus over the last 24 hours and no symptoms of the infection have been observed in the patient over the past 48 hours. "The patient is being sent home now," he said. On Thursday, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza had confirmed the emergence of the sixth coronavirus case in the country. The latest, too, had emerged from Karachi. Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid Friday said that out of 48 suspected coronavirus cases in the province, 44 persons were tested negative and sent home.

Speaking at a news conference in Lahore to give updates on the situation, she said three more of the suspected cases tested negative on Friday while the result of one of them is awaited. Talking about pilgrims who have returned to Punjab from Iran, she said out of 3,056 pilgrims, 2,700 have been screened and sent home and another 2,500 people are under quarantine at Taftan border

Dismissing rumours that the Punjab government is not prepared to deal with the virus, she said, "We have formed a new technical team, even at this time, it is having a meeting at the Chief Minister's Office to decide the red lines such as at what number of cases we will ban public gatherings and close schools."

She said more than 10,000 people have been trained to deal with the possible coronavirus cases.

She said China managed to control the spread of the virus only through 'restriction of movement'. She said the Punjab government is creating a strategy to prevent an outbreak. "We receive a report...