Chinese coming to Pakistan will undergo screening tests.

Byline: Kashif Abbasi

ISLAMABAD -- Chinese flights will restart coming to Pakistan from Feb 3 and all passengers coming from ChiAna will go through screeAning tests at all airports to detect symptoms of coronavirus.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza disclosed this during a briefing to National Assembly's StandAing Committee on Health on Friday. He said that after a break of a few weeks, Chinese flights would restart coming to Pakistan from Monday.

Dr Mirza, however, said that there was no need for panic as the health ministry along with all other departments concerned had been 'vigorously' working to handle this issue.

He said there was no serious role of coronavirus outbreak in halting Chinese flight operation as the flights were already not coming to Pakistan because of New Year celebrations in China. He, however, said that later because of this outbreak they took more time in restarting the operation.

The SAPM said there was quarantine in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was epicentre of the deadly disease. He said that 60 million people had been kept in quarantine in Wuhan to avoid spread of the virus.

He said that before boarding flights in China, passengers would face exit-screening and when they reach Pakistan, 'we will also conduct their screening'. He said it was difficult to detect the patents suffering from coronavirus without conducting laboratory tests, but passengers suffering from high fever would be isolated for their proper tests. He said the government had decided to keep all Chinese nationals under observation for 14 days.

Mr Mirza said that 538 Pakistani students were also in Wuhan and the Pakistani government was in constant touch with the Chinese authorities.

He said that at the moment there was no plan to evacuate Pakistani students...