In response to the surge in Covid-19 cases globally, screening protocols have been mandated at all international airports across Pakistan.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued immediate orders for the screening of 2 percent of passengers on international flights. Following the directives from the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the implementation of Covid-19 screening for passengers will be gradually initiated at major airports throughout the country. According to the guidelines, two percent of passengers on each flight will undergo rapid antigen testing, as stated by a CAA spokesperson. In addition to passenger screening, the CAA has directed the fumigation of passenger lounges at least once a day to enhance safety measures. Airport staff has been explicitly instructed to extend full cooperation and support to Border Health Services officials.
These measures aim to curb the potential spread of the virus, aligning with global efforts to manage and mitigate the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. news desk
The Sindh health department has confirmed two cases of Covid-19 in passengers who had arrived at Karachi’s Jinnah Inter national Airport.
The health officials suspect the cases to be of the highly transmissible JN.1 variant, which is currently a cause of concern across the world. The two passengers, between the ages of 50 and 60, arrived from Bangkok and Jeddah on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The lab samples have been sent to a Dow University of Health Sciences laboratory, they said.
Earlier, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) decided to conduct COVID testing of passengers coming from abroad. The NCOC meeting discussed the situation in the country about the new variant of Covid JN-1. The forum was told that Pakistan has not reported a single case of the new covid variant, so far. The forum okayed COVID testing at the airports and borders. Meanwhile, caretaker federal Minister for Health Dr Nadeem Jan said that the government is continuously monitoring the situation as this subvirus of Omicron was found in some countries. He said that the risk of this variant spreading in Pakistan is very low, but caution is necessary.
