The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has extended the ban on the entry of travelers from 23 countries that fall in its Category C, till April 30, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its April 19 notification, the CAA had notified travel restrictions on Category C countries, till April 24. However, the new notification, issued on Friday, confirmed a six-day extension in the travel ban on countries like South Africa, India, Zimbabwe, and Brazil.

Category C

Category C includes South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya Comoros, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Brazil, Pero, Colombia, Chile, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, Seychelles, Somalia, Suriname, Uraguay, Venezuela, India.

Travelers from these countries will have to take special permission from the NCOC for entry. The ban also applies to Pakistani nationals, NICOPs, and POC cardholders coming from these countries.

Category A countries

Category A includes Australia, Bhutan, China, Fiji, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.

Those coming from these 20 countries will be allowed entry without negative Covid reports at the time of landing in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the travelers from Category B countries will have to furnish a negative Covid PCR report conducted a maximum of 90 hours before the boarding. The Aviation Authority said that all countries not specified in Category A and C, fall in Category B.

The rest of Covid SOPs will remain the same and their implementation will be mandatory, CAA said.