Coronavirus: 170 Pakistanis stranded in Bangkok returns home
- By Salah Uddin -
- Mar 29, 2020
ISLAMABAD: An international flight carrying 170 Pakistanis stranded in Bangkok landed at Islamabad International Airport amid suspension of flight schedule due to coronavirus pandemic, ARY NEWS reported.
According to details, a Thai Airways flight TG-349 landed at the airport carrying Pakistani trapped at Bangkok airport and in other nearby countries.
The passengers included around 51 countrymen who remained trapped at Bangkok airport from March 21 due to cancellation of flights amid global coronavirus outbreak.
The other over 100 passengers were the ones trapped in nearby countries including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Australia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
The passengers were tested at the airport for the virus symptoms by specially designated health officers and it was decided to quarantine all the passengers who returned from the flight.
They will be shifted to designated hotels and would only be allowed to leave after they test negative for the virus.
It is pertinent to mention here that federal government has decided to allow international flights from April 05 at eight international airports across the country aimed at bringing back Pakistanis stranded abroad.
According to a letter written to provincial chief secretaries and commissioner Islamabad, the federal government directed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to ensure provision of medical facilities across the country to quarantine suspected coronavirus patients coming to Pakistan.
Read More: PIA losses to reach Rs 6 billion by March end amid coronavirus pandemic
The letter said that the federal government intends to open international flights at Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan and Quetta airports from April 05 to facilitate stranded Pakistani passengers.
It is decided to screen all passengers arriving the country and putting all suspected patients at the designated hotels turned into quarantine facilities.
The letter said that respective district and health administrations will be responsible for transportation of suspected cases to designated hotels and medical facilities provided to them.