Omicron varinat: 'Vaccination, screening at Pak-Afghan border beefed up'

PESHAWAR: Amid concerns over the spread of Omicron variant, the government has beefed up vaccination and testing measures for travellers from Afghanistan coming through Pak-Afghan Border (Torkham Border), ARY NEWS reported.

According to the provincial health ministry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the number of medics at the Pak-Afghan border have been doubled while a 130-bedded isolation facility has also been established at Landi Kotal hospital.

“Vaccination and screening of travellers from Afghanistan are ongoing and they are only allowed to enter the country after undergoing a COVID test,” the director of public health said and added that they were also administered a single dose of the vaccine.

The official shared that those testing positive for COVID are barred from entering into Pakistan. “We have also appointed medics at the Peshawar airport for the proper screening process,” the director said.

Pakistan’s COVID tally 

Pakistan on the consecutive second day reported a surge in the COVID-19 cases as the country registered 3,567 fresh pandemic cases over the last 24 hours.

According to the latest figures shared by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), a total of 48,449 samples were tested during this period, out of which 3,567 turned out to be positive, showing the national positivity rate of 7.36 per cent as compared to yesterday’s 6.12%.

Statistics 14 Jan 22:
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 48,449
Positive Cases: 3567
Positivity %: 7.36%
Deaths :7
Patients on Critical Care: 675

— NCOC (@OfficialNcoc) January 14, 2022

The death toll from the pandemic climbed to 28,999 after seven more patients succumbed to the viral disease in the past 24 hours.

The number of coronavirus patients in critical care in various hospitals across the country has seen a surge amid concerns over the Omicron variant and currently stands at 675.