Staff Reporter Peshawar
As many as 32 frontline workers of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have tested positive at Baccha Khan International Airport, Peshawar as the number of COVID-positive passengers arriving from Gulf countries at the airport has increased to 80.
According to details, the airport manager of the Peshawar airport confirmed that 32 frontline workers have tested for COVID-19 at the airport, mainly including members from vigilance and airport services.
Bridge operators and staffers from the human resource and medical department are also among the affectees.
The authorities at the airport cited an increasing number of COVID positive passengers’ arrival from Gulf countries as the main reason behind spread of the infection among airport staffers.
So far 80 passengers have turn out to be COVID-positive at the Peshawar airport after undergoing rapid testing before leaving the airport premises.
“The airport premises is being disinfected properly and a regular spray is being carried out to avoid a spike in cases among those serving at the airport,” the manager said.
It is pertinent to mention here that National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) on May 01 devised new protocols for the inbound passengers, imposing a condition of COVID testing at Pakistan airports.
The NCOC in its handout said that in view of prevailing global and regional disease trends, Pakistan has decided to reduce inbound international travel from 5 May to 20th May by 20 percent.
Besides this, the passengers will undergo rapid COVID testing at the Pakistani airports and would stay in quarantine for 10 days at their homes.
In case of testing positive, the passengers will have to shift to a quarantine facility, where they would be re-tested for COVID 19 on the eight-day. The guidelines stated that the passenger would bear the expense of the isolation facility.—INP
