Pakistani authorities have now stopped collecting coronavirus sampling of passengers flying in on foreign flights from Saturday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The development emerged after the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) got permission for international flights at Islamabad Airport from the higher authority following which the coronavirus testing of the foreign passengers has now been stopped.

Two flights from Jeddah and Dubai arrived at the airport where passengers of Jeddah were allowed to go home without taking Covid-19 samples while samples of passengers from the flight coming from Dubai have been obtained, the TV channel reported.

Earlier, as per the government’s directives all international passengers arriving in the country must present health certificate to the authorities confirming a negative coronavirus test. The measure came in effect from March 21 and all airlines were required to comply with it.

Pakistan has been introducing a raft of precautionary measures to contain the virus and now facilitating the international passengers.

It is pertinent to note that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has reached 171,666 as of Saturday, with 3,382 fatalities reported so far, as per the latest figures released by National Command and Operation Centre.