60 passengers from Dubai test positive for COVID-19 at Peshawar airport

PESHAWAR: As many as sixty passengers from Dubai tested positive for COVID-19 at the Bacha Khan International Airport on Thursday.

The passengers landing at the Peshawar airport especially from Gulf countries continue to test positive for COVID-19. and so far 140 passengers have turn out to be COVID-positive at the airport after undergoing rapid testing before leaving the airport premises.

The 60 passengers reached Peshwar from Dubai via PK-218 flight and tested positive for the coronavirus at the airport after undergoing rapid testing. The passengers protested against the airport administration and demanded another test, which too remained positive.

Later, the airport manager called on the airport security force (ASF) contingent to control the situation. It may be noted that so far, passengers who reached Peshawar airport from 13 countries have been tested positive for COVID-19.

The development is a worrying one as Pakistan, like many countries around the world, continues to grapple with the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more: 32 frontline workers test positive amid arrival of rising COVID patients at Peshawar airport

On Wednesday, as many as 32 frontline workers of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) tested positive at Baccha Khan International Airport.

Bridge operators and staffers from the human resource and medical department are also among the affectees.

The authorities at the airport cited an increasing number of COVID positive passengers’ arrival from Gulf countries as the main reason behind spread of the infection among airport staffers.

“The airport premises were disinfected properly to avoid a spike in cases among those serving at the airport,” the manager had said.

It is pertinent to mention here that National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) on May 01 devised new protocols for the inbound passengers, imposing a condition of COVID testing at Pakistan airports.