Covid shows signs of increase

Authorities starts screening of passengers from Middle East

ISLAMABAD:

The single day tally of fresh Covid cases showed signs of increase, as the National Institute of Health (NIH) reported 85 coronavirus cases during the last 24 hours, while the authorities concerned started screening of passengers coming in from the Gulf countries.

The NIH said that the national positivity ratio remained 0.52%. It added that no death was reported during the last 24 hours, while 119 Covid-19 patients were in critical care in various Covid-dedicated health facilities across the country.

Meanwhile, the authorities started the rapid antigen testing of passengers from Middle East countries at the airports of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The measure was put in place after the confirmation of the first case a fast-spreading sub-variant of Omicron virus earlier this week.

Read Govt to bring NCOC back to life amid Covid threat

In the first phase, RAT is being conducted randomly on the directives of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Centre for Disease Control, the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the light of the health ministry’s instructions.

Officials said that for the aircraft carrying up to 150 passengers, they were testing 10 to 15 people, while for aircraft carrying up to 250 passengers, they were testing 15 to 20 people. A CAA spokesperson said that RAT would continue at the airports till further orders.

The NIH had confirmed earlier this week the first case of the latest sub-variant of Omicron, BA.2.1.2.1, which is responsible for a new wave of Covid-19 infections across the globe. In a tweet on Monday, the NIH also urged the people to follow social distancing protocols and get jabs against coronavirus.

The case had emerged a month after the government of former prime minister Imran Khan shut down the National Command and Operation Centre -- a dedicated platform that fought Covid pandemic for exactly two years – in March.

However, in view of the emergence of the latest Omicron sub-variant, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered immediate restoration of the NCOC. Also, Health Minister Qadir Patel chaired a meeting at the NIH to oversee the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

During the meeting – summoned on the directive of the prime minister – Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) National Coordinator Maj Gen Aamer Ikram informed that only one case had been detected, so far, and the centre was closely monitoring the situation.

The meeting discussed precautionary measures including non-pharmaceutical interventions to curb the spread of the virus. The minister underscored that although the situation was under control at the moment, there was a need to stay vigilant and keep a close eye on the emerging new variants.