Coronavirus: Pakistan announces to slash international flights by 80%

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday decided to cut international flights by 80% to control the coronavirus spread in the country.

"Amid high disease prevalence in various parts of the world and current disease situation in the country with corresponding extreme stress on the critical care system. Pakistan has decided to significantly reduce inbound International Air Travel from 5 May to 20th May," said the NCOC in a statement on Twitter.

"Amid high disease prevalence in various parts of the world and current disease situation in the country with corresponding extreme stress on the critical care system. Pakistan has decided to significantly reduce inbound International Air Travel from 5 May to 20th May," said the NCOC in a statement on Twitter.

It was not immediately clear which routes and air carriers will be affected.

The NCOC said the decision will be reviewed on May 18.

Inbound air traffic will operate at 20% of the total current quantum, while there is no change in the existing Category C list countries.

“Pakistani passport holders (stranded/short term visa) are allowed to travel to Pakistan subject to exemption by the committee as per procedures in vogue,” the NCOC statement read.

All inbound travellers to Pakistan, including those from the Category C list countries, must have a negative repeat PCR test before travelling to Pakistan (maximum 72 hours old) while a rapid antigen test will be done on arrival at the airport.

Negative cases will undergo 10 days of self-quarantine at home with stringent TTO protocols.

The statement said positive cases will be shifted by the provincial/ district administration to a self-paid facility for 10 days quarantine with TTO of contacts (if any) and a repeat PCR test will be conducted on the 8th day of the quarantine period.

In case of a negative result, the passenger will be allowed to proceed home. However, in case of a positive result, the passenger will either undergo an additional quarantine period or be shifted to hospital as per the advice of health authorities.

The NCOC stated that registration on the Passtrack App by all inbound travellers before travelling to Pakistan is mandatory, however, deportees are exempted from registration on the app.

Pakistan has reported 146 new coronavirus deaths during the last 24 hours, raising the total death tally to 17,957 nationwide on Saturday.

146 succumb to virus

According to the latest figures provided by the NCOC, 48,740 coronavirus tests were conducted in the country, out of which 4,696 came back positive.

The positivity ratio was recorded at 9.63% in the country as of today.

The total tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 825,519, with most cases reported in Punjab.

The number of recoveries nationwide has reached 717,009 so far, while the number of active cases in the country stands at 90,553 as of today.