Unvaccinated highway travellers face action
Officials pictured during a transport stoppage as part of the transport obligatory vaccination drive, on Dec. 12, 2021. SCREENGRAB
At least 37 people were arrested and 172 vehicles impounded in a total of 12,073 inspections during the obligatory vaccination campaign in the transport sector, a statement issued on Sunday said.
The action was taken during the inspections carried out until December 10.
The statement said that a special drive for the implementation of the obligatory vaccination regime in the transport sector is in progress from December 8 to 18 by all federating units through the formulation of joint monitoring teams.
The areas checked during the drive include Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lochran, Okara, Kemari, Hafizabad, Lahore, Kasur, Multan, Jhelum, Shahkot.
As per the mandate of the monitoring teams, the statement added, they can inspect public and private intercity and intra-city transport at the entry and exit points, bus stands and terminals, toll plazas and interchanges, rest areas and the inter-provincial boundary at the national highways and motorways.
Read More: ‘16m have received first Covid vaccine doses’
It said that only vaccinated individuals and individuals holding medical exemption certificates will be allowed to travel on the highways and motorways.
The statement noted that efforts would be made to vaccinate vehicle staff and passengers on the spot through Mobile Vaccination Team.
On Friday, the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) announced launching the special nationwide vaccination campaign for the transportation sector.
The NCOC emphasised that only vaccinated individuals, or those with medical exceptions, will be permitted to travel. Non-vaccinated transport staff and passengers will be inoculated on the spot via mobile vaccination teams.
The Centre stated that a total of 3,793 inspections were completed on December 8 alone and 46 vehicles were impounded and eight people were arrested.
On Thursday, Pakistan detected its first “suspected” case of the Omicron variant in Karachi, according to the provincial health minister.
Sindh Health Minister Azra Fazal Pechuho said the authorities "suspect the case to be of the Omicron variant due to the virus' behaviour".