Unvaccinated people barred from travelling in trains: NCOC

ISLAMABAD: In another measure to improve the COVID vaccination drive in the country, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has decided to bar unvaccinated people from travelling in trains, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details that emerged from the NCOC meeting headed by Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, the unvaccinated people will not be allowed to travel through trains from October 1.

“Only vaccinated people could avail travelling facilities via train from October 1,” the body supervising the strategy to deal with COVID-19 in the country said.

The meeting also expressed concern over the spike in COVID-19 cases in Peshawar and Rawalpindi and directed the provinces- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab- to ensure strict implementation of the COVID SOPs in these areas.

The meeting headed by Asad Umar also mulled over measures taken in the wake of the upcoming month of Muharram besides also expressing its satisfaction over vaccination drive in the country.

The NCOC meeting also stressed taking measures to ensure the administration of a second COVID-19 dose in the country.

A report on August 03 had earlier stated that Pakistan Railways put out a notification, calling for a 10pc Covid surcharge to be levied on unvaccinated passengers from September 1 to make up for “the heavy cost” the department is bearing on account of 70% occupancy and additional sanitization.

Besides, the railways said unvaccinated passengers aged above 20 years will not be allowed to travel by trains without showing their vaccination certificates from Jan 1, 2022 and there will be a complete ban on travel without vaccination from April 1, 2022.

The railways will set up vaccination centres at all major stations, including Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Rohri.

All PR employees have been given until August 31 to get themselves inoculated against the deadly virus with a warning that their salaries will be withheld in case of failure to get vaccinated.