Coronavirus: PIA begins screening travellers at Beijing airport

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday started conducting pre-screening of travellers from neighboring China for signs of coronavirus.

As precautionary measures, PIA has begun to screen travellers at Beijing Airport before departure of flights to Pakistan in view of the coronavirus outbreak in China, PIA spokesperson said.

The instructions have been passed on to PIA's station management at China and crew operating the flights, he added.

Meanwhile, the airlines officials have contacted federal health services to also take the necessary screening measures upon arrival of flights from Beijing. PIA operates two flights per week from Islamabad to Beijing and vice versa.

A day earlier, health authorities had issued an advisory warning all the concerned to take precautionary measures.

So far, 17 people have been killed and 570 have been infected from the coronavirus only in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza while chairing a meeting of senior officials discussed the precautionary measures and a response mechanism in the wake of the recent cases of coronavirus emerging across China. The virus has spread to five countries including the US.

The PM's aide told the participants of the meeting that the directorate of the health ministry dealing with airport and port health services has been asked to maintain strict vigilance at the points of entry and check travellers coming in from affected areas.

"The directorate has been advised to strengthen health desk and quarantine arrangements at the ports of entry," he added.

There are 41 incoming flights from China to Pakistan altogether, every week.