PESHAWAR: As many as 32 frontline officials of the Civil Aviation Authority posted at Baccha Khan International Airport in Peshawar contracted coronavirus as the number of Covid-positive passengers returning from Gulf states at the airport increased to 80.
The airport manager confirmed that 32 workers have tested for Covid-19, mainly including members from vigilance and airport services.
Bridge operators and officials from the human resource and medical department are also among the affectees.
The authorities at the airport cited an increasing number of coronavirus-positive passengers’ arrival from Gulf monarchies as the main reason behind the spread of the infection among their staffers.
So far, 80 passengers have turned out to be Covid-positive at the airport after undergoing on-arrival testing.
“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.
The National Command Operation Centre on May 1 devised new protocols for the inbound travellers, imposing a condition of Covid-19 testing at airports.
The NCOC in a handout said that in view of prevailing global and regional disease trends, Pakistan has decided to reduce inbound international travel from 5 May to May 20 by 20 per cent.
Besides this, the passengers will undergo rapid testing at the airports and would stay in quarantine for 10 days at their homes.
If positive, the passenger will be shifted to a quarantine facility, where they would be re-tested on the eighth day. The guidelines stated that the passenger would bear the expense of the isolation facility and in case of testing positive for the second time, would be shifted to a hospital.
