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- Pakistan's health minister Zafar Mirza has tested positive for Covid-19.
- This as the country struggles to cope with daily cases of about 4 000.
- Other ministers have contracted the virus in the country.
Pakistan's health minister on Monday said he had tested positive for Covid-19, the latest senior figure to contract the novel coronavirus in a country where rising cases are putting pressure on the health system.
"I have tested positive for Covid-19. Under (medical) advice I have isolated myself at home & taking all precautions. I have mild symptoms. Please keep me in your kind prayers," State Minister of Health Zafar Mirza said on Twitter.
Pakistan top health official Dr. Zafar Mirza says he has tested positive for covid-19 & has self isolated himself at home. Dr Mirza is the second minister to have contracted the virus after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who tested positive for covid-19 on Friday. pic.twitter.com/q2RyEQmZlj
— VOA DEEWA (@voadeewa) July 6, 2020
Pakistan has so far confirmed more than 229 831 cases with 4 762 deaths, according to government figures. The country has continued to confirm around 4 000 new cases per day, despite daily testing numbers falling.
Officials
A number of high level officials have tested positive in Pakistan, including Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who announced he had the virus on Friday.
The Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Asad Qaiser have also contracted the virus.
On Monday, 48 doctors resigned in the eastern city of Lahore, one of the hardest hit areas by the virus. Salman Haseeb, president of the Young Doctors Association for Punjab, said the resignations were due to low morale in the stretched health system due to poor working conditions.
