For passengers travelling to Pakistan, new SOPs

RAWALPINDI: For international passengers travelling to Pakistan, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has made an amendment to the Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs).

The CAA reported that the Authority had provided a list of samples, following guidance from the National Institute of Health under the Ministry of National Health Services, Rules and Coordination, which could be considered similar to PCR-based tests for Covid-19. passengers They are: Covid-19 Real Time-PCR, SARS-Cov-2 RT-PCR, Covid-19 RT-PCR, SARS-Cov-2 RT-PCR, Covid-19 PCR, SARS-Cov-2 PCR, and Xpert Xpress SARS-Cov-2 or SARS-Cov-2 Gene Xpert PCR.

The CAA claimed that passengers carrying negative certificates / reports for either of the above tests would be deemed to comply with the required RT-PCR test requirement as set out in the SOPs on international passenger, chartered and private aircraft flights to Pakistan released on 29 September and subsequently amended.

Both airlines / operators of aircraft, ground handling officers, approved flights and agents shall ensure complete compliance with the criteria and shall notify passengers wishing to fly to Pakistan. The CAA has advised the relevant authorities to enforce the SOPs.

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The Responsible Authority for International Travelers, Chartered and Private Flight Operations between Nov 6 and Dec 31 has approved a revised list of countries for categories A and B.

Category-A: Before entering Pakistan, international travellers from 22 countries do not need Covid-19 RT-PCR / PCR checking. Malawi, New Zealand, Norway, Rwanda, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Singapore , Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Vietnam and Zambia, Australia, China, Cuba, Estonia, Ghana, Japan, Kazakhstan.

Category-B: foreign travellers from non-Category-A countries needed a Covid-19 RT-PCR / PCR test before travel to Pakistan started (maximum age of 96 hours). Category-B includes all countries not listed in category-A.