Observer Report Islamabad/London
An immediate danger of another Covid assault is looming large as Pakistani expatriates will be coming to Pakistan from Europe during Christmas/ New Year holidays.
The discovery of a new coronavirus variant has sent a chill through much of the world as nations raced to halt air travel, markets plunged and scientists held emergency meetings to weigh the exact risks, which were largely unknown.
The Pakistan government should arrange a very strict and effective scrutiny procedure at all the international airports to ensure that Corona carriers do not leave the airport and mix with the general public!
Medical experts, including the World Health Organization, warned against any overreaction before the variant that originated in southern Africa was better understood. But a jittery world feared the worst nearly two years after Covid-19 emerged and triggered a pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people around the globe.
British Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers that the new version may be more transmissible than the delta variant and render vaccines less effective. “We must move quickly and at the earliest possible moment,” Javid said.
Some nations moved to stop air travel from southern Africa, and stocks plunged in Asia, Europe and the United States. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 800 points at the start of trading. The price of oil plunged 7%.
“The last thing we need is to bring in a new variant that will cause even more problems,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said amid a massive spike in cases in the 27-nation European Union, which recommended a ban on flights from southern African nations.
