Govt stiffens travel rules as fifth Covid wave intensifies

CAA announces new travel advisory for passengers from abroad

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI:

The government on Tuesday stiffened the Covid-induced protocols for the passengers coming in from abroad as the surge in the number of new coronavirus cases continued, according to the daily update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The NCOC, which serves as the nerve centre of the government’s anti-pandemic strategy had warned on Monday that the fifth wave of the Covid pandemic, fuelled by the Omicron variant, was spreading rapidly in the country.

Following the alarm bells set off by the NCOC, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) made the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing mandatory for the incoming passengers. The test would have to be taken 48 hours before boarding the flight to Pakistan, according to a report.

CAA officials said that the authority had decided to abolish the Category B and Category C list of countries. These lists contained the names of the countries from where the incoming passengers were subjected to various Covid-related restrictions.

The CAA said that all the travellers coming from European countries would be required to take a Rapid Antigen Test upon arrival in Pakistan, while half of those onboard flights from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) would be required to take the Rapid Antigen Test.

Also read: Omicron accounts for 50% cases detected in Sindh

“Mandatory Covid-19 vaccination and possession of proof of Covid-19 vaccination. This is applicable for all passengers above 15 years of age,” it said. “Valid negative PCR test result conducted within the 48 hours prior to commencement of travel to Pakistan. This is applicable for all passengers above 6 years.”

In case the Rapid Antigen Test returned positive, the infected passengers would undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine, either at the government-designated quarantine centres or at selected locations on their own expenses.

The Omicron-driven fifth Covid wave is spreading fast in the country, the NCOC said on Monday, as the NCOC reported over 700 cases – the highest number of single-day tally of new infections in over two months. Last week, the NCOC report a tally of more than 500 cases for the first time since November 10.

In its daily update on Tuesday, the NCOC reported 630 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, down from 708 on Monday. According to the forum more than half of the cases, 339, were registered in Sindh. The national positivity rate was 1.4%, it added.

The Omicron variant, which was first reported by South Africa in the last week of November, had stoked a new wave of infections around the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday the virus affected the upper respiratory tract, causing milder symptoms than previous variants.

(WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)