Pakistan Alleviates COVID-19 Restrictions for Inbound Passengers
by Hamna Bano
SHARES
NCOC while revising health protocol has eliminated the requirement for a negative PCR test for all the fully vaccinated inbound patients. The decision was taken by NCOC on Wednesday while reviewing the COVID-19 situation in Pakistan.
The implementation will be observed starting today (Thursday). The requirement of a pre-boarding negative PCR Test has been repealed for those travelers who are fully vaccinated. However, in the case of non-vaccinated passengers above the age of 12, the requirement of a negative PCR test still exists.
From the time the sample is collected at the laboratory, the time period of 72 hours will be calculated in order to confirm the validity of the test. However, NCOC has clearly conveyed that except for children below the age of 12, complete vaccination is mandatory for the passengers.
Till 31 March 2022, Passengers between the age of 12 to 18 will be permitted to travel without the full-vaccination requirement.
Pakistan eases Covid-19 curbs for inbound passengers - Newspaper - https://t.co/VLE7k22BIK. #pakistan https://t.co/E0CqRcnh8G
— Pakistan News (@pakistaninews) February 24, 2022
According to NCOC, “For deportees and non-vaccinated passengers, rapid antigen tests will be conducted on their arrival at border terminals. Among them, positive cases will be allowed to quarantine at home for 10 days.”
Previously on Tuesday, the Government of UAE exempted the submission of a valid negative PCR test from all Pakistani passengers, traveling to Dubai and Sharjah. However, the passengers will undergo the COVID-19 test on their arrival in Dubai and will remain in self-quarantine until the results come out.
According to NCOC, “the coronavirus positivity rate across the country has dropped to 2.95 percent. In all, 1,232 more cases were detected in the past day during which a total of 43 patients died. The official data shows that as many as 1,230 patients were hospitalized across the country.”
Amidst the continuing vaccination efforts, a shipment of the AstraZeneca vaccine is also expected to be received in Pakistan.
