CAA directed to conduct rapid PCR tests of arrivals from UK

The government has directed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to conduct rapid PCR tests of all the passengers arriving at Pakistani airports from the UK in view of a surge in the number of cases of Omicron variant of the coronavirus pandemic there, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Monday.

The Authority has been further directed to schedule the arrival of flights from the UK in such a way that the tests of all the passengers could be conducted by the time the next flight from the country lands at any Pakistani airport.  

Similarly, according to fresh instructions, people will have to undergo a coronavirus PCR test 48 hours before boarding a Pakistan-bound flight.

Compared with the rest of the world, the omicron variant of Covid-19, first detected in South Africa, spread rather fast in European countries, setting off alarm bells ringing about its spread to the other parts of the world.

Reporters: Saeed Ahmad Saeed and Saba Bajair