RAWALPINDI: A group of 75 staff members of the United States embassy in Islamabad on Sunday depar­ted for Georgia, US, aboard a special flight from the Islamabad International Airport.

A spokesperson for the US embassy said in a statement that the Department of State on March 14 had authorised the voluntary departure from any diplomatic or consular post of US government personnel and family members who have determined they are at a higher risk of a poor outcome if exposed to Covid-19 or who have requested departure based on a commensurate justification.

The statement issued on Sunday said that a number of embassy staff in Islam­abad departed for Georgia, US, on a flight contracted by a private company.

It said they appreciated the cooperation of the Pakis­tani authorities in allowing the departure of this flight.

The US mission in Pakistan continues to provide emergency services to American citizens and visa applicants. It further said that they recommended US citizens to register themselves in the smart traveller enrolment programme at https://step.state.gov/ to receive updates on any departure options.

It says the US stands with Pakistan in this difficult time and will continue to partner with the government to strengthen capacity to respond to Covid-19.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2020