Diplomats to undergo mandatory COVID-19 test after arriving in Pakistan

KARACHI: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has declared the COVID-19 test mandatory for diplomats upon their arrival at a Pakistani airport, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The NCOC issued a notification regarding the travel and quarantine restrictions for diplomats. Following the new directives, all diplomats are bound to carry negative PCR test not older than 72 hours before boarding.

However, the diplomats will undergo rapid antigen tests (RAT) at their arrival at the Pakistani airport.

In case of testing positive for coronavirus post-RAT, the diplomats will be home quarantined. It further stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will ensure the implementation of all standard operating procedures (SOPs) pertaining to the home quarantine.

On May 1, the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) had devised protocols for the inbound passengers, imposing a condition of COVID testing at Pakistan airports.

Read: Covid vaccine: Pakistan lifts age restriction for people wishing to travel abroad

The protocols released on NCOC’s Twitter handle for the inbound passengers stated that people having Pakistani passports could return to the country and had to carry a negative PCR test report performed 72 hours before travel.

Besides this, the passengers will undergo rapid COVID testing at the Pakistani airports and would stay in quarantine for 10 days at their homes.

In case of testing positive, the passengers will have to shift to a quarantine facility, where they would be re-tested for COVID 19 on the eight-day. The guidelines stated that the passenger would bear the expense of the isolation facility and in case of testing positive for the second time, the passenger would be shifted to a hospital.

All inbound passengers would be bound to register themselves on Track App while those deported would be exempted from it.