Coronavirus: Flyers arriving at airports to fill out health declaration forms

KARACHI: As part of health safety measures to stop possible transmission of the deadly coronavirus to Pakistan, the Ministry of Health has instructed flyers to submit a health declaration form upon arrival at the country’s airports.

According to a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson, every passenger will have to fill out the form, which will contain their brief travel history and contact details.

He said crew members will provide forms to passengers to fill out and then, hand the same over to health officials upon landing at airport lounges. Upon failure, they will be denied entry into the country, he warned.

Health officials have already started screening passengers at four airports of the country in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

A day earlier, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had decided to impose a ban on export of face masks and hand gloves as “a first precautionary measure” and to ensure availability of “sufficient basic first aid material”.

The NDMA instructed all relevant authorities to take necessary measures and ensure “availability of sufficient quantity of first aid material (face mask & gloves) at all tiers of health units.”