Pakistan revises travel protocols for passengers arriving from UK

Islamabad: Due to hike in the number of Omicron variant cases in the UK, Pakistan has revised the travel advisory for the flights arriving from the UK.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced a new travel policy for passengers travelling directly from the United Kingdom to Pakistan.

According to the revised policy, all passengers arriving from the UK via direct or indirect flights will undergo a rapid antigen (RAT) test upon arrival, in addition to the mandatory vaccination and negative PCR test pre-boarding protocols already in place (max 48 hours old), says NCOC Deputy Director Abdul Qadeer Awan.

The NCOC has requested that PCAA adjust direct flights from the UK (if deemed necessary) to provide a sufficient time gap for airports to conduct 100% RAT.

The centre has urged concerned authorities to take appropriate action and expeditiously disseminate the information.

Similarly, one flight after another should have enough time to complete the rapid antigen test of all the passengers of the previous flight. Passengers will be required to take the COVID-19 PCR test 48 hours before boarding the flight.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials said the move was made in the wake of the increasing number of Omicron variants of coronavirus in the UK.

It is to be noted that a new strain of coronavirus is spreading rapidly around the world.