Pakistan closes Wagha border with India for two weeks amid coronavirus scare

Pakistan announced on Thursday to close down Wagha border with India for two weeks as the number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 341.

The interior ministry through a notification said that it closed the key border point with India "for an initial period of two weeks (14 days) with immediate effect". It said the measure was taken to "prevent the spread of COVID-19, in the best interest of both countries." Pakistan's western border with Iran and Afghanistan had already been closed to curb the spread of the deadly virus which had infected people in more than 150 countries.

Meanwhile, more coronavirus cases were reported in Pakistan as the number of patients in Balochistan province rose to 45 and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 34. Another 211 patients were in worst-hit Sindh, 33 in Punjab, 15 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 2 in Islamabad and 1 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. So far two people have died due to the novel coronavirus in Pakistan.

Pakistan was taking measures to stop the spread of the infection and lately religious affairs minister Noor ul Haq Qadri said that training programs for Haj pilgrims were suspended as part of the preventive measure. In Karachi, which is one of worst-hit areas, Christian leaders suspended Church services.

The Foreign Office announced to hold indirect press conference as a precautionary measure to control the spread of coronavirus. Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that reporters can submit questions through email and answers will be published on the ministry's website.

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