As many as eight coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Punjab after seven new patients tested positive on Tuesday.

Of the seven new cases, five were reported from Dera Ghazi Khan in the southern part of the province.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in a tweet said, “We have received test reports of Imran Ali, who lost his life in Mayo Hospital, and his cause of death was not #COVID19. So far Punjab has 8 confirmed cases and are being provided best available treatment. I urge everyone that these are testing times & we should act responsibly!

https://twitter.com/UsmanAKBuzdar/status/1239881867542908929

Earlier in the day, Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid told a news conference that 736 people had so far been suspected of infection, who were quarantined in DG Khan. These people had recently visited Iran where the infection has played havoc and killed hundreds of people in recent weeks.

The Punjab health minister told the media that in the first phase, 42 people were tested for the infection, adding, “Five of them tested positive for the coronavirus.”

“In addition to the one confirmed coronavirus patient who is under-treatment in Lahore’s Mayo Hospital, the total numbers of coronavirus patients has increased to six in Punjab.”

While appealing to the people not to come out of their houses unnecessarily, Dr Yasmin said that the provincial government was conducting tests of another 48 people for the infection.