KARACHI: Two more passengers who arrived in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi from Saudi Arabia and the UAE tested positive for coronavirus this week, a senior health official confirmed on Sunday.
Pakistani authorities this week started testing two percent of all international travelers arriving in the South Asian country at major airports in Pakistan for a new coronavirus variant, JN-1. On January 5, the Sindh Health Department reported that two international travelers tested positive for the infection at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
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.
“I can confirm both these cases [one from Saudi Arabia and the other from Sharjah],” Shabbir Ali Babar, Sindh Health Department spokesperson, told Arab News, adding that they had tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
“Earlier this week, there were two more cases so this makes it four.”
The two passengers who had tested positive for coronavirus on Friday were allowed to leave for their hometowns in Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab and Sanghar district in Sindh. They were advised to quarantine themselves at their residences, as per local media reports.
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, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said in a statement on January 5.
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, it added.
Two more passengers in Karachi test positive for coronavirus
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Two more passengers in Karachi test positive for coronavirus
- Four international passengers have tested positive for coronavirus in the last three days, confirms Sindh health official
- Pakistan this week started testing two percent of international travelers arriving at major airports for coronavirus variant, JN-1
Pakistan vaccinates over 44.3 million as last polio drive of 2025 enters final day
- Anti-polio drive is being conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, say health authorities
- Pakistan has vaccinated over 22.9 million children in Punjab and 10.4 million in Sindh provinces
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health volunteers have vaccinated a total of 44.3 million children against the poliovirus disease in the last six days, health authorities said on Sunday as the nationwide drive against the disease enters its last day today.
The seven-day anti-polio campaign was launched on Dec. 15, targeting children under the age of five. It is being conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) which oversees eradication efforts.
Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries where wild poliovirus transmission has never been interrupted, keeping global eradication efforts at risk. The virus, which can cause irreversible paralysis, has no cure and can only be prevented through repeated oral vaccination.
“Today is the final day of the last national polio campaign of 2025,” the NEOC said in a statement. “In six days, over 44.3 million children have been vaccinated.”
Giving a breakdown of the numbers, the EOC said approximately 22.9 million children have received polio drops in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, over 10.4 million in Sindh, 7.1 million in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and around 2.54 million children in Balochistan.
In Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, over 450,000 children received polio drops while in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, over 274,000 children have been vaccinated, the EOC said.
In Azad Jammu & Kashmir, over 714,000 children received polio drops.
Pakistan has logged 30 polio cases so far in 2025, underscoring the fragility of progress against the virus. The country recorded 74 cases in 2024, a sharp rise from six cases in 2023, reflecting setbacks caused by vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and access challenges in high-risk areas.
Health officials say insecurity remains a major obstacle. Polio workers and their security escorts have repeatedly been targeted in militant attacks, particularly in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, complicating efforts to reach every child.
Natural disasters, including flooding, have further disrupted vaccination campaigns in recent years.
“Parents and communities are urged to welcome polio workers at their doorsteps,” the EOC said.
