Covid tests mandatory for Pakistan-bound UK travellers

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfi Bukhari has said the government has made Covid-19 test mandatory for Pakistan-bound travellers from the United Kingdom.

“As per government of Pakistan’s policy, all those intending to travel from the UK to Pakistan have to get themselves tested for Covid-19,” he tweeted. He said Covid tests from all verified sources would be admissible.

“However, there is ‘no compulsion’ on where to get those tests done. Tests from NHS (National Health Service) or other verified source are acceptable,” he added.

His tweet came amid fears of winter second wave of coronavirus, as the Pakistan once again recorded double-digit deaths and more than 600 cases. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), active infections rose to 8,528 after 625 people tested positive in the 24 hours leading to Wednesday.

Thus far, 787 patients were admitted in hospitals across the country, 79 of which are on ventilator. Twelve patients, 10 of whom were in hospital, died in the same period. Some 27,614 tests were conducted across the country— 9,754 in Sindh, 10,066 in Punjab, 2,840 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 2,979 in Islamabad, 900 in Balochistan, 450 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and 625 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).