PIA issues travel advisory for crew on coronavirus fears

KARACHI: Amid the novel coronavirus scare, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has issued a travel advisory for its crew members working on the national flag carrier’s flights to Beijing and Tokyo, ARY News reported.

Each cabin crew member has been instructed to carry touch-free thermometers and N-95 face masks in line with the directives of Chinese authorities, according to the advisory.

The virus outbreak has killed almost 640 people in mainland China and two elsewhere.

Earlier today, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza chaired a meeting to review measures taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Speaking during the meeting which was also attended by Federal Secretary Health Dr Allah Baksh Malik and armed forces representative Major General Amir Ikram, Dr Zafar Mirza said that National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad received 25 samples of suspected coronavirus patients.

“All of them have tested negative showing that there is not a single case of coronavirus reported in the country,” he said adding that they were taking steps to adopt all measures aimed at tackling the spread of coronavirus in the country