Quarantine period for inbound air passengers to be cut.

Byline: Mohammad Asghar

RAWALPINDI -- The government has decided to reduce the quarantine period before testing for inbound air passengers from 48 hours to the earliest possible in an effort to bring back more stranded Pakistanis from abroad.

Following the prime minister's directive to bring stranded citizens back home, the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), in coordination with the provinces and health professionals, reduced the quarantine period before testing for inbound air passengers from 48 hours to earliest possible.

Passengers will be transported to quarantine centres and will stay there until the return of tests results, after which they may be quarantined or instructed to self-isolate at home according to the provincial health authorities' directions.

This strategy will allow to raise the weekly cap for inbound passengers from 7,000-8,000 to 11,000-12,000 under the current policy.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Moeed Yusuf, while announcing the new policy during a press briefing on Monday, said the authorities were working day and night to resolve problems of stranded Pakistanis.

Inbound passengers will be allowed a preference between two modes of quarantine, free of cost government quarantine centers or paid government regulated hotels/facilities.

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Testing will be conducted as soon as possible after arrival at a quarantine facility. And the passengers with negative Covid-19 results to be sent home with guidelines on home isolation for completion of 14-day period.

Passengers with positive Covid-19 results to be resolved as following:

Symptomatic patients will be treated as per prescribed health protocols. A symptomatic patients from other provinces will be treated as per prescribed health protocols and to be kept in isolation/quarantine facilities until completion of 14 days.

Positive cases will not be returned to home province until completion of quarantine period. A symptomatic patients from host province will have home quarantine capability reviewed. If the provincial authorities deem home quarantine to be feasible, patient may be sent home with guidelines on home isolation for 14 days.

Otherwise, patients will be treated as per prescribed health protocols and will be kept in isolation/quarantine facilities until completion of 14 days.

It is also important to note that with the increased number of inbound passengers and keeping in mind the local...