Alarm bells ringing as 48 Indian coronavirus cases land in Karachi
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The alarm bells are ringing high in Karachi as a single flight from a gulf country has brought down 48 passengers who have tested positive for Covid-19 upon their arrival here. The health authorities fear they might carry the Indian variant, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.
According to sources, 48 passengers who boarded a flight to Karachi from Oman were reported positive when t their rapid corona tests were conducted at the airport. The health authorities suspect the positive passengers might be carrying the most dreaded Indian variant as they were coming from a Gulf country where a large number of the Indian diaspora is living.
The health authorities have sent their samples of corona tests to the laboratory for examining the gene sequencing.
However, most of the positive passengers hail from the south and east of Karachi.
Some positive cases belong to Larkana and Hyderabad. While the rest hail from other parts of the country.
Before this, the gene sequencing was done on the returnees of Iraq and Oman who were positive and it was found that they were carrying the Indian variant.
The authorities stressed the need to keep a vigilant eye on people who are coming down here from abroad. The authorities have restricted these travelers at their homes so that they would not spread the virus in the community.
Up until now, the India variant is regarded as the fastest spreading and most aggressive kind of coronavirus as its transmissibility rate is extremely high. The uptick in Indian variant cases is taking the provincial government off guard.
The Ministry of National Health Services has asked the airlines to strictly implement SOPs for inbound travelers, including presenting a mandatory test report from an authentic lab in the country of origin. The government has also conducting the rapid antigen tests of international travelers to curb the spread of the virus.
The ministry has further urged the general public to strictly observe advised precautionary measures to protect themselves. The government is also speeding up its vaccination campaign to control this pandemic.
On Tuesday, Sindh Health Secretary Kazim Jatoi confirmed the existence of five cases in the province infected by the Indian variant (B.1.617.2). He informed that four cases belonged to Karachi and one belonged to Ghotki.
He said three Iraq returnees and one Muscat returnee had brought the Indian variant in Sindh. He said the provincial government was following the trace and track policy to halt its spread.
Reporter Kifayat Ali Shah