A spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department said Monday midnight that eight new cases of coronavirus have surfaced in Karachi.

The new cases took the number of coronavirus patients in Karachi to 13 and Pakistan 16. Five of the new patients have returned from Syria via Doha and three others travelled from London to Pakistan via Dubai, says the health department spokesperson. Three cases have surfaced in Islamabad so far.

Earlier on Monday, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting people against coronavirus. He expressed this commitment during his surprise visit to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.

The special assistant said the government was working closely with provincial governments under the National Action Plan to cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

One of these patients recovered fully in Karachi last week and was discharged from the hospital on Saturday.