ISLAMABAD: Authorities at major airports across Pakistan have started testing two percent of all international travelers arriving into the South Asian country for a new coronavirus variant, JN-1, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said on Saturday.
The government this week decided to implement necessary measures to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 variant, with the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) “vigilantly observing the situation” in other countries that witnessed a surge in the cases of viral infections.
The PCAA said major airports in Pakistan had begun implementing the instructions provided by the NCOC, which served as the country’s pandemic oversight body, in response to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in certain parts of the world.
“These instructions include the screening of 2 percent of all international flights arriving in Pakistan,” a PCAA spokesman said in a statement. “The purpose of this screening is to identify and isolate any potential COVID-19 cases among incoming passengers.”
The World Health Organization has named JN-1 a variant of concern, indicating that it is being closely monitored, but it has not been added to the high-risk “watchlist” of strains.
Symptoms of JN-1 are thought to be similar to those of other members of the omicron family of COVID-19 variants, typically starting with a sore throat, followed by congestion and a dry cough.
Pakistani airports are required to carry out fumigation of passenger lounges at least once during the day. This measure aims to ensure a clean and sanitized environment for passengers and staff, reducing the risk of virus transmission, according to the PCAA statement
The airports have been further instructed to provide full cooperation to border health services staff, including facilitating their work and ensuring that all necessary protocols and guidelines are followed. These measures are part of the national efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health.
