As new variants of coronavirus spread at a rapid pace in parts of the globe, including India, China, and the United States, health authorities in Pakistan seem to be ill-prepared to stop the arrival of the virus in the country.
Even though the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) claimed that the situation was being closely monitored, there have been no measures at airports, such as rapid testing and screening of inbound travellers, to detect positive cases of Covid-19.
NCOC member Dr Shahzad Ali Khan said the Centre was regularly holding its meetings. He added it was yet to be seen how new variants would behave in Pakistan since “viruses behave differently in different environments”.
“We have been closely observing the situation. It is a fact that a sudden spread [of Covid-19] has been observed in China because there were strict restrictions in place and an abrupt removal of these curbs allowed the virus to spread,” he said.
