Coronavirus contingency measures complete at Chaman border: NCOC

ISLAMABAD: National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday announced that all contingency measures at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border had been completed, ARY News reported.

According to details, expatriates willing to return to Pakistan from Afghanistan are supposed to cross over from the Durand Line today and all safety and precautionary measures required to ensure their good health in times of coronavirus pandemic were put in place earlier in the day.

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Pakistanis entering Chaman, Balochistan from the Wesh-Chaman border crossing with the neighbouring Kandahar Province of Afghanistan will be screened, tracked and tested upon arrival and will only be allowed to venture further inside the country to their destinations after acquiring a clean bill of health.

Pakistan Railways has sent forth trains with portable medical coach attachments along with normal coaches which will be used to transport individuals who will be cleared post-screening.

A total of 30 passenger coaches and two medical coaches arrived at the border, NCOC authorities revealed.

The coaches can also be used as make-shift isolation centers for individuals who test positive for coronavirus and can house up to 400 individuals if positive cases see an increase.

NCOC thanked Pakistan Railways for their cooperation and said that the initiative will help pin down possible virus carriers, minimizing chances of transmission.