COVID-19: Pakistan screens travellers before allowing entry

Central Health Establishment chief says govt strictly monitoring all entry points

KARACHI: The Central Health Establishment has said pre-emptive measures are in place to stop spread of novel coronavirus in Pakistan and passengers coming from China, Iran, South Africa and Italy are being thoroughly checked at airports and other entry points.

“Trained staff is monitoring the passengers with thermo guns and thermo scanners have been installed at all entry points,” said the Central Health Establishment Director Dr Irfan Tahir while talking to The Express Tribune on Saturday.

Dr Tahir said there are 19 entrance routes to Pakistan including 10 airports, six land routes and three ports.  The airports include Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, Quetta, Faisalabad; ground routes include Wagah, Khokhrapar, Chaman, Taftan, Gwadar and Khunjerab Pass, while there are three ports including Karachi.

Dr Tahir noted that 800,000 passengers who had arrived into Pakistan during the last 44 days – since the outbreak of coronavirus in China – had  been screened at airports, ground routes and ports.

“On the directives of the premier, strict health security measures have been taken at all the entrance routes, while trained staff is working round-the-clock, so there is no need of fear,” he said.

The passengers arriving from foreign countries are given a health declaration form which they require to fill in the aircraft. The data of the travelers coming from the coronavirus-hit countries is collected and if any one of them is suffering from flu or fever, he is checked at the airport and his case is then followed.

Passengers arriving at airports or through land routes are screened with the help of thermo gun and thermo scanner which confirms if he or she is suffering from any fever or not. Five big scanners have been installed at major airports including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and Peshawar.

Prior to February 23, only travelers from China, South Africa and Italy were being checked.

But after the virus was reported in Iran on February 23, the federal health department also added the Islamic state in its list of virus-hit countries.  “Unfortunately, coronavirus was reported in a passenger who came to Karachi from Iran before February 23,” Dr Tahir said.

He observed that the health form was being revised after which the travel history of passengers will also be included in it. “If a passenger suspected of suffering from coronavirus is identified he is kept separately,” he said.

The health official confirmed that no patient of COVID-19 had arrived in Pakistan from China but six had come from Iran. He said these patients had arrived before the screening procedure had begun and Iran was not on the list of countries afflicted by coronavirus at that time.