Covid-19: Pakistan to test travellers from Afghanistan despite vaccination
Non-vaccinated people to undergo 10-day quaratine
Photo: File
People travelling from Afghanistan to Pakistan will be tested for Covid-19 even if they are vaccinated, according to the National Command and Operation Centre.
The NCOC decided that vaccinated travellers who test positive for the virus will have to quarantine for 10 days.
Non-vaccinated and partially vaccinated Pakistanis will have to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine irrespective of their test results, it said in a notification Wednesday.
The new orders will come into force from July 17.
To facilitate inbound pedestrian movement of stranded Pakistanis, a comprehensive mechanism has been placed at Torkham and Chaman border terminals.
The NCOC has tightened coronavirus restrictions across the country after the infection rate increased to 3.3%. Provinces have been instructed to strictly ensure the implementation of precautionary measures.
The government recently announced the following SOPs for Eidul Azha and cattle markets:
- People to perform ablution at home
- Separate entry and exit points outside mosques
- Worshippers to be screened for fever before entering the mosque
- Social distancing of at least three feet to be ensured during prayers
- Worshippers to bring prayer mats from home
- No carpets allowed inside mosques
- Mosques to be vacated 10 minutes after prayer ends to prevent socialising
- Windows and doors to remain open for ventilation
- Sick, elderly, and children under 15 years won’t be allowed inside mosques
- No hugging or shaking of hands
- Encourage online buying of animals
- Set up cattle markets in open spaces outside the city
- Ensure sanitisation outside markets, temperature checks at entries, masks, and social distancing
- Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for animal sellers
- Animal stalls to be set up at a distance of two metres
- No shaking of hands or physical contact
- Buyers and sellers to wear gloves before touching animals
- People showing coronavirus symptoms not to be allowed inside the markets
Pakistan reported over 1,683 new cases and 24 deaths from the deadly virus in the last 24 hours.
The highest number of fatalities were reported in Sindh.
