Gilgit Baltistan's focal person for coronavirus Dr Shah Zaman has said that of the 250,000 tourists who visited the region, only around five per cent had their laboratory test reports for Covid-19, terming it "concerning and a grave violation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs)".

He said that 20 tourists had been put under quarantine so far after they showed symptoms of the virus while others could not be traced because they had given "wrong contact information".

He added that hotels have been directed to keep 20pc of their rooms reserved for tourists who show symptoms so they could be "immediately quarantined".