Pakistan decides to intensify Covid screening at airports

Pakistan has decided to intensify the Covid screening of inbound passengers at airports after the spread of Covid variants across the world, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The Border Health Services of Pakistan issued an order to tighten the Covid screening process of passengers. The order stated that passengers from foreign countries should be strictly monitored at all airports across the country.

The staffers of the airport health service will be bound to immediately conduct the rapid antigen test (RAT) of the suspected passengers.

It has been ordered to conduct the Covid screening of at least two per cent of the passengers of each flight. In case of resistance from any passenger, the staffers of the civil aviation’s vigilance department and airport security will assist the concerned health officers.

The order was immediately taken into effect.

Earlier in the day, it was learnt that a shortage of Covid testing kits at the Karachi airport increased the threat of the spread of the new variant of the virus in Pakistan.

READ: PAKISTAN FULLY READY TO COPE WITH NEW WAVE OF COVID VARIANT: NCOC

The Covid tests have been declared mandatory for passengers landing in Pakistan from Saudi Arabia and South Africa amid fear of Covid cases fear.

As per the details, the rapid antigen covid tests are delayed due to a shortage of Covid testing kits at the airport.

Sources said that the Health Ministry is not providing Covid testing kits to the staff deputed at the Karachi airport.

Earlier this week, the National Institute of Health Islamabad and the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said Pakistan is fully ready to cope with the expected new wave of Covid variant.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider chaired a session of the National Command and Operation Centre.

The officials of the NIH Islamabad and the NCOC gave a briefing to the NDMA chairman regarding the country’s preparations to cope with the challenge of any new wave of the Covid pandemic.