LAHORE: After the emergence of new variant of the coronavirus in Pakistan, the Punjab government has enforced compulsory home-isolation for the UK-returned passengers to stop the outbreak of the infection.

Under the newly enforced policy, the government has ordered strict vigilance of the UK returnees. It has directed the district and police authorities to ensure screening of the passengers to stop the outbreak of new variant in Punjab.

“The inbound passengers from the United Kingdom are to be tested on return as per guidelines issued by the National Command and Operation Centre”, reads the notification issued by the Punjab government here on Wednesday.

The government issued guidelines to follow in letter and spirit for the returnees while making it mandatory to stay at home for a period of seven days.

Punjab govt orders home isolation, other measures

“As per guidelines all returnees are to be compulsorily home- isolated for a period of seven days and kept under observation”, reads the notification.

The district health authorities were strictly directed to ensure daily monitoring of the home- isolated individuals and keep record update.

The new guidelines and home- isolation policy for the international travelers was imposed first time during the initial stage of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Punjab. At that time, the passengers of each international flight reaching Punjab were isolated for a period of 14 days. This practice was abandoned later when Covid-19 spread to a large proportion across the province and the rest of the country.

A senior health official said that the step was taken a day after Pakistan reported first confirmed case of the UK Covid-19 variant in Sindh, prompting the federal government to issue instructions to the provinces for preventive measures. He said under the new guidelines issued by the Punjab government, the passengers showing aggressive symptoms of the virus may be shifted to the nearby hospitals for treatment. Those with mild symptoms would be encouraged to spend the given period in isolation at their homes till clearance by the field teams of the health department, he said.

The Punjab government has circulated specific instructions in this regard to the chief executive officers of all the districts of the province to follow them strictly.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 death toll crossed the figures of 4,000 in Punjab after the virus claimed lives of 31 more patients across the province during the last 24 hours. Similarly, as many as 654 more people tested positive for the virus in Punjab during the same period. Of them, 374 were from Lahore showing how the virus was spreading persistently in the provincial capital where the total number of the confirmed cases reached 67,971.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2021