ISLAMABAD: The capital administration has set up three centres to isolate expatriates coming to Pakistan in case they test positive of Covid-19.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Islamabad (East) Babar Sahib Din told Dawn that the three quarantine facilities had been set up one each at OGDCL building, Marriott and Redison hotels. The isolation facility is available free of cost at the OGDCL and on the subsidised rate of Rs3,000 to Rs9,000 per day at Marriott and Redison.

It is up to the expatriate to avail of the government free of cost facility or stay at any of the two hotels, he said, adding Margalla Hotel and a guest house at F-7 had also been selected as a backup facilities and would be utilied, if needed.

The centres were set up in response to the government directives related to the revised international air policy, the official said.

He said on arrival at the Islamabad International Airport, rapid tests of all the expatriates would be conducted and those found infected would be shifted to their choice quarantine centre.

“The number of expatriates returning to Pakistan for Eid celebrations increases and keeping this in view the centres have been set up,” Mr Babar said.

Infected patients will be shifted to centres at OGDCL, Marriott and Redison hotels

The duration of isolation would be 10 days. He said on the eighth day, another test would be conducted and those who would test negative would be allowed to go home.

Air traffic has already been reduced to 20 per cent but about 2,000 expatriates are arriving in the capital from different countries daily, Mr Babar said.

He said countries were categorised in A, B and C, according to the number of Covid-19 cases there.

The countries included in the category C are those where the cases are very high, he said.

Passengers from the category A and B countries are allowed to travel to Pakistan after showing the negative report of Covid-19 test. A committee reviews the cases of expatriates living in the category C countries and either allows or disallows them to travel to Pakistan.

The officials of the capital administration said four expatriates arriving from abroad tested positive and were isolated at the centres.

Meanwhile, a woman died of Covid-19 and 369 more people tested positive in the capital on Thursday.

Officials said death toll from the virus in the capital had increased to 699. The woman who died on Thursday was resident of G-8 and in the age group of 50-59.

In the last 24 hours, 4199 tests were conducted and the passivity rate remained 8.79. There are 11297 active cases in the capital.

Rawalpindi

Two patients died and 135 more people tested positive while no patient was discharged from hospitals in the Rawalpindi district.

Naseem Jameel, 75 years old, resident of Adiala Road, was brought to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology on April 24 where she died.

Nisar Ahmed, 63, resident of city area, died at the Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre where he was admitted on May 5.

There are 1571 active patients in the district and 297 of them are in hospitals and 1274 in home isolation. As many as 697 patients are waiting for the results of their Covid-19 serology.

Of the new cases, 28 were reported from the cantonment, 46 from Potohar Town and 24 from Rawal Town.

Moreover, seven patients came from Gujar Khan, 15 from Taxila, six from Kahuta, six from Islamabad, two from Chakwal and one patient from Attock.

Officials said 30 of the new patients were admitted in Holy Family Hospital, 31 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), 77 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU), 27 in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH), eight in Hearts International Hospital and one in Begum Akhter Rukhsana Hospital.

There are nine patients on ventilators, 116 are on oxygen and 49 are stable.

Attock

As many as 1,820 coronavirus patients have recovered from Covid-19 across the district so far, the District Health Department said. According to data, 2028 tested positive after screening of 36218 people.

The District Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department said that at present there are 169 active patients in the district in which 165 are under home isolation. Results of 117 people are awaited.

Chief Executive District Health Authority Dr Jawad Ellahi said four vaccination centres are functioning in Jand, Pindigheb, Attock city and Hasanabdal while two more centres would be established in Fatehjang and Hazro.

He said so far 2497 frontline health workers have been administered first dose and 1249 health workers have been administered second dose.

He said 32449 citizens have got themselves registered in the district and the vaccine has been administered to 21427 people across the district.

Meanwhile, the local administration in Hazro sealed 13 shops over corona-related SOPs violations. A team from the local administration along with staff of municipal administration led by Assistant Commissioner Shagufta Jabeen during the monitoring of bazaars and markets sealed the 13 shops.

Fines were imposed on hotel owners for not following the coronavirus SOPs.

Moreover, a private school was sealed in Weesa village where regular classes were being conducted despite government’s notification for closure of all educational institutions to curtail the spread of virus. — Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2021