LAHORE: As many as 379 more Pakistani nationals returning from various countries on the last 24 special flights from April 28 to May 8 have tested positive for coronavirus.

The special flights had brought 4,344 overseas Pakistanis between April 28 and May 8.

The official record shows that total 7,756 Pakistanis have returned home from abroad on 43 flights from April 14 to May 10. Of them, 682 passengers were carrying virus. A majority of them have been discharged after recovering at quarantine centres and hospitals.

However, the results of tests of 760 passengers, who arrived from Dubai in Faisalabad and Multan on May 10, are still awaited.

Many of the Pakistani nationals recently brought home from Dubai were carrying the virus, according to official figures obtained by Dawn.

As many as 188 Pakistani citizens were brought from Dubai in Multan on May 1 and 63 of them tested positive for the virus.

Test results of 760, who arrived from Dubai in Faisalabad and Multan on May 10, are still awaited

Of the total repatriated Pakistanis, 3,054 were brought home between May 1 and 8 and 296 of them tested positive for Covid-19.

According to the data, 290 Pakistanis were brought from Muscat and Dubai to Faisalabad and tests confirmed that 25 of them were Covid-19 patients.

On May 1, special flights brought 533 Pakistanis from Jeddah and London to Lahore and only two of them were carrying virus.

Similarly, 290 Pakistanis reached Faisalabad from Dubai on special flights on May 4 and 57 of them were confirmed as Covid-19 patients.

Again on May 4, 289 Pakistani citizens were brought to Lahore from Dubai and Sri Lanka and 15 of them tested positive for coronavirus.

Out of 124 Pakistanis brought from Tanzania to Multan on May 5, 13 were carrying virus.

On May 6, the special flight landed at Lahore international airport with 264 passengers and 27 of them tested positive for virus.

The flights brought 285 Pakistanis from Dubai to Faisalabad on May 7 and 23 of them were carrying virus.

Similarly, 279 Pakistani citizens arrived in Lahore from Dubai on May 7 and 44 of them of them tested positive for virus.

On May 8, 252 Pakistanis reached Lahore from Dubai. Their samples sent later to laboratories confirmed that 22 of them were Covid-19 patients.

Another special flight brought 256 Pakistanis from Jeddah to Multan on May 8 and 10 of them tested positive for the virus.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2020