Covid threat: Pakistan resumes thermal screening for incoming passengers at airports
The federal health authorities on Wednesday announced to tighten up surveillance systems at all entry points of the country and monitor incoming passengers in the wake of fears that a new variant of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) emerging.
An official of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination said that the spread of the BF.7 Omicron variant was causing concerns.
The official added that several additional measures had been taken to prevent the spread of the subvariant.
The health authorities instructed the deployment of thermal scanners at airports across the country.
The official stated that an “efficient system with a proper management team is fully functional” in the country to remain vigilant and was ready to make an emergency plan to deal with any sub-variant of Covid-19.
The official added that medical staff at intensive care units (ICU) at hospitals across the country were also active to handle any situation.
He further said that genome sequencing has been initiated at laboratories in all the four provinces and the federal capital to trace the variant and to adjust any remedial measures.
As per official statistics, 90% of the country’s population has already been vaccinated against Covid-19.
The official said that special directions were issued to ensure the availability of an adequate quantity of ventilators, oxygen supplies, and antiviral medicines in the hospitals.
Fresh cases reported
The National Institute of Health (NIH) said that 26 new cases of Covid-19 were reported during the last 24 hours across the country.
The case positivity ratio was 0.75%, while 14 patients were in critical condition. No death was reported from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours while 3,488 tests were conducted.
Around 404 tests were conducted in Islamabad, 756 in Lahore, and 363 in Peshawar. As many as four confirmed cases with a 1.1% case positivity ratio were reported from Peshawar, one case with a 0.25% case positivity ratio was reported from Islamabad and one case with a 0.13% case positivity was reported from Lahore.
