63 passengers test positive at Pakistan airports in five days, NCOC alerts foreign ministry

ISLAMABAD: National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) have asked the foreign ministry to ensure that those traveling to Pakistan from abroad should have undergone tests from reputed laboratories as 63 passengers have tested positive for COVID-19 at nationwide airports, ARY NEWS reported.

According to a letter written from the NCOC to the foreign ministry, passengers traveling from Gulf countries have been arriving with negative COVID reports, however, after undergoing rapid testing at the airports, as many as 63 of them have tested positive in the last five days.

Those arriving from Gulf countries should be asked to undergo tests from reputed laboratories, the letter said while asking the foreign ministry to take measures in this regard.

It has been further conveyed that the national and foreign airlines should be bound to accept COVID test reports from designated labs.

On May 01, National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday devised new protocols for the inbound passengers, imposing a condition of COVID testing at Pakistan airports.

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

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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.