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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan on Monday imposed travel restrictions on UK passengers after the emergence of a new mutated strain of Covid-19 that was spreading rapidly in England.
The move is aimed at restricting the spread of the variant in Pakistan, said a spokesman for the National Center for Command and Operations (NCOC).
A preliminary analysis reportedly suggests that this particular strain is about 70% more transmissible. However, there is no evidence to suggest that the infection caused by the strain is more severe so far.
The NCOC spokesman said that many countries, including Saudi Arabia and Oman, had completely banned or imposed additional restrictions on flights and travelers from the UK.
Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended international commercial flights for a week, while Muscat International Airport was closed as of 11:59 p.m. on December 21.
Following Saudi Arabia’s decision, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) canceled its 44 flights to and from the kingdom on Monday.
The Saudi General Civil Aviation Authority (GACA) had announced on Sunday evening that all international flights, except in exceptional cases, would be suspended for a week, which could be extended for another week.
“Foreign flights that are currently in the territory of the Kingdom can leave,” said the GACA in its notice issued to all airlines operating at airports in Saudi Arabia.
However, the GACA said the travel suspension would not affect cargo flights or the supply chain, adding that the instructions would be reviewed and updated in light of developments related to the pandemic.
The new development came after several European countries imposed a travel ban from the UK on Sunday after the UK warned that a highly infectious new strain of the virus was spreading rapidly.
PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan, in a statement, said the airline had temporarily suspended its flights to and from Saudi Arabia for a week according to the circular issued by the Saudi General Civil Aviation Authority.
PIA flights to Lahore-Jeddah-Lahore, Islamabad-Dammam-Islamabad and Karachi-Madina-Karachi have been canceled, while flights from Lahore to Madina, Madina to Karachi, Madina to Multan and Karachi-Jeddah-Karachi were also canceled.
The PIA spokesman said: “Until flight permits are restored, all flights will remain canceled,” adding that affected passengers would be accommodated as soon as flight operation for Saudi Arabia was restored.
The PIA has asked passengers to register their contact number in its call center so that they can be informed in a timely manner about the status of the flights.
Khan also asked passengers to contact PIA’s call center 111-786-786 for guidance or information.
Direct or indirect travel from the UK would be temporarily suspended, starting at 11:59 pm on December 22, the spokesperson said, adding that passengers who were in transit through the UK and did not leave the area of operations during transit could enter Pakistan.
The spokesperson further said that travelers who were or had been in the UK for the past 10 days would not be allowed to enter Pakistan, however Pakistani passport holders, who traveled to the UK on visitor or temporary visas They could return but would have to follow protocols.
These include producing a negative PCR test result taken up to 72 hours before boarding the flight in the UK and performing another test on arrival as agreed by the federal and provincial governments. Passengers will need to stay at the airport or be transferred to a government facility until the test is done and will also have to undergo mandatory home quarantine for seven days.
On the other hand, according to the decision of the Supreme Committee of the Sultanate of Oman to prevent the entry and exit of the Sultanate as a result of the pandemic, the Muscat International Airport has been closed for international flights as of 11:59 pm on 21 December. .
This suspension will remain in effect from December 22 to 29. Following the suspension, PIA also canceled all flights to Muscat.
The PIA spokesman said the airline would not operate its flights during the ban, while all affected passengers would be accommodated as soon as flights resume.
Posted in Dawn, Dec 22, 2020
